


All the Ways

by WonderPickle



Category: Scorpion (TV 2014)
Genre: 100 Ways to Say I Love You Writing Challenge, Complete, Domestic Fluff, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and stuff, Humor, Lots of it, One-Shots, Quintis - Freeform, Quintis Quintis Quintis, Short one-shots, Some angst, set in various times during canon, short nonsense, sweet stuff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-02
Updated: 2018-06-09
Packaged: 2019-03-26 05:36:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 100
Words: 31,699
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13851189
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WonderPickle/pseuds/WonderPickle
Summary: Quintis one-shots based off the tumblr post "100 ways to say I love you." One short Quintis story for each prompt. Complete.





	1. Watch Your Step

**Author's Note:**

> so um...so I got inspired to do this by another story in another fandom. every chapter is a different one-shot based off a prompt from tumblr's "100 ways to say I love you" list. these are all unconnected, unless I specifically say at the start of the chapter that they aren't.
> 
> I can't promise that I will finish this, but I promise that I'm going to try. as of right now, I intend to write all 100 of these one-shots. no idea when they'll all be posted. they will vary in length, and some might be really short. they won't be in the order that they are on the original list. obviously, they're all Quintis.

_17 - "Watch your step."_

 

“Toby, did I not tell you to be careful?”

“It’s a little difficult when I feel like the cyclops after he encountered Odysseus, darlin’.”

“ _Toby_.”

Huffing, Toby frowned. But he continued letting her lead the way. His voice lightened. “I trust you with my life, Hap, but I don’t trust my big clown feet.” He rubbed at the blindfold.

“If you listen to me, you _won’t_ crash.” She pulled at his hand with a different angle as they made a left, down the hallway, he presumed. He had a suspicion of what this was all about, and if they were going this way, it helped prove his theory correct.

“Who said I wasn’t listening?”

Happy tugged on his hand, gliding her wedding ring over several of his knuckles. “Watch your step, doc.”

He was careful. After a second, he asked, “When I take this off, am I gonna see a sexy pharmacist?”

“No,” Happy answered, and he could hear the smile in her voice.

“Sexy scientist, then?” He lowered his voice. “I bet she could make my rocket take flight.”

“Scientist, huh?” She sounded interested.

“Yeah.” Toby scratched his scruff. “I borrowed an extra lab coat from the back of Flo’s storage closet. I don’t think she’ll miss it. It’s in the truck.”

Happy warned Toby that they were coming to a stop, and when he halted, so did she. “Okay. Three steps forward.” He obeyed. Happy proceeded to stretch on her toes and untie the blindfold, dropping it into her hands.

Toby opened his eyes to their spare bedroom. Well, their spare bedroom that didn’t look like their spare bedroom at all.

His theory was right. But he didn’t show it.

The once white walls were now a pink hue, the paint color they’d decided on weeks ago but never got around to putting up. A wet paintbrush sat in the full tray against the right wall. Despite the distance, he could smell it.

There was no tape, because, like Happy reminded him when they first bought the paint, she was smart enough not to need it. She wouldn’t make a mistake like that. But, there was protective sheets covering the floor, several fresh with rose splotches. While she was efficient, she was also messy.

What really caught Toby’s attention was a crib in the corner, masterfully designed by the world’s best mechanic herself. Obviously, it didn’t resemble the one from the false pregnancy. Though, it had its similarities.

Toby turned to her, grinning at the twinkle in her eyes. He gestured to the crib. “Is this the late night project you kept refusing to spill the beans about?”

Happy nodded. “Surprise.”

“Oh, Happy…”

She pressed her lips together. “Sorry I didn’t tell you sooner.”

“No,” he pulled her into a hug, wrapping his arms over her shoulders, “no, no no. Don’t apologize. This is...Happy, this is amazing.”

She breathed a sigh of relief into him as she buried her face against his chest. Toby kissed her head, over and over, then pressed a tender hand to the bump that would take over this room in seven months.


	2. An Umbrella

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks for the warm response to this story! I really appreciate it.
> 
> this one is obviously set before season one.

_96 - "I brought you an umbrella."_

 

Toby ran another hand through his hair for the third time in two minutes.

Collins and Happy got into a huge fight again. She tried to pull Walter away from the rabbit hole. She’d been trying for three days. And it wasn’t just Walter ignoring her. Collins snapped at her. He bombarded her, and when she came close to knocking one of his teeth out, Toby jumped to her rescue. That made Collins snap at him, too. Then Happy got frustrated because she “didn’t need someone to defend her.” She stormed off to go work on her bike. The engine revved obnoxiously every now and then, which was her equivalent of an hourly middle finger.

Sylvester knew better than to say anything. Walter and Collins had no reason to say anything. Toby considered it, but didn’t try until he heard the back door to the garage slam open and closed.

He knew she didn’t go anywhere. If she’d taken her truck out, the noise would’ve echoed throughout the garage. It wasn’t a quiet ride. And Happy wasn’t one for walks, either. So she was probably out in the alley. Probably.

Once Toby found his feet already on the way to her, without bothering to consult his brain first, he started to hear the rain. And he became confused as to why he hadn’t heard it before. Maybe he’d just been too deep in his own head.

The drops landed against the side of the building in heavy helpings.

He went back for his jacket. After shrugging it on, Toby also decided to borrow Sly’s emergency umbrella. He peeled the plastic wrapping off.

With his sights set on the door, he crossed the distance. When he opened it, sure enough, Happy was there.

The raindrops splashed onto her beige truck, which happened to be sudzy from top to bottom. Little white bubbles coated nearly the entire vehicle. Although the rain washed most of them away as soon as she spread them across with her sponge, like a shower rinsing a body.

Her process certainly wasn’t cleaning every inch of the truck. But Toby suspected that wasn’t the purpose of being out here, anyway.

He stepped a little closer and pulled his jacket a little tighter, taking notice of an abandoned water bucket, along with a soap bucket, sitting directly underneath the car for protection from the rain. Ah. So she hadn’t expected the current whether predicament, but she made do.

She didn’t want to go back inside. She probably didn’t realize that, though.

“Happy?”

She turned at the sound of his voice and scowled. “What?”

Toby opened his mouth to answer. There was a bunch of things he could’ve said. He could’ve made a joke. He could’ve commented on how great the weather was or made note of what little progress she’d made. He even could’ve mentioned Collins. But it suddenly occurred to him that he had nothing to say.

His eyes flickered around, as if that would help. Happy stood and stared back at him. Her hood was big enough to prevent water from hitting her face, though, it splashed onto her exposed hands. She didn’t seem to mind.

She was intimidating, as always. But her intensity was amplified today. Her eyes narrowed. She look so out of place with the calmness of the rain.

Bubbles leaked onto the ground whilst her silence gave him a moment of respite.

But then Happy raised her eyebrows and chin. “Did you come out here for a reason? Or just to piss me off?”

His fingers tingled, which allowed him to remember he still held the umbrella. Toby didn’t give any thought before inadvertently sinking his left sneaker into a puddle, trying to move forward. Happy shot a glance at his foot, atypical confusion lines creasing her forehead, but he shook it off. “Oh. I brought you an umbrella.” He gestured with the thing, flinging raindrops everywhere.

“I don’t need an umbrella.”

He nodded at the sky. “It’s raining cats and dogs out here.”

“I’m not an idiot, I can see that,” she retorted. “I’m _wearing_ a rain jacket.”

He elevated his hands defensively. “Okay. Not here to argue. Just to help.” He moved his head to the right, glimpsing the garage wall. “I’ll leave it over here,” he said, stepping to lean the umbrella against the wall. “Y’know. In case.”

Toby tried to shoot her a smile, of sorts. But she watched him go, the guy possessing a soaked shoe and melted pride, without a word.


	3. I Made Reservations

_54 - “I made reservations.”_

 

"You hear that?" Toby asked, pointing to his grumbling stomach as he looked around the room. 

"All I hear is you running your mouth," Cabe retorted, chuckling.

Toby pouted. "My stomach, crankpuss. It’s growling.”

“Well tell your stomach to can it,” Cabe snickered.

“Toby, we have food in the fridge,” Paige replied with a bubbly laugh.

“ _Dinner_ food? I don't think so,” he remarked, dropping onto the couch with a sigh.

Happy picked an apple out of the fruit bowl and hurled it at him. Her throw was clean, precise, and landed right in his lap.

“Nice shot,” Toby informed her as he took a deep bite into his snack.

“My calculations don’t miss,” she told told him with a shrug.

“I’d still like dinner, though,” he replied, his words muffled suddenly against the fruit as he took a bite.

“Kolvelsy’s is right down the corner,” Paige responded in a sing song tone.

Toby settled further into the couch, partly closing his eyes. “Would someone else go get it? I’ve had a long day, and am in need of a beauty nap.”

“Do you _ever_ quit complaining?” Cabe questioned, taking a sip from his warm mug in his hand.

Toby pouted, thinking for a second. “No.”    

Cabe snorted.  

He cracked an eye open right when Happy disappeared and Paige started naming foods from the kitchen. “Fruit salad? I don’t remember seeing this, but it looks okay.”

Despite not being able to inspect it, Toby still waved his apple at her. “This is more than enough fruit for a day.”

“Hey,” Cabe wondered aloud, “how does that saying go? An apple a day keeps the doctor away?”

“Yeah?” replied Toby.

“Well, how does that work if the doc’s the one eating the apple?”

Toby puckered his lips and munched on another bite. “Cabe,” he swallowed, “that is the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard.”

“It’s a good question!” he protested, looking around. But no one else was there.

“What about some bleu cheese?” Paige called. “Oh, wait. Nevermind. It’s expired.”

Cabe continued without responding to her. “‘Sides, you can’t tell me it’s the stupidest thing you ever heard when you haven’t stopped blabbing about being famished since we got back.”

“Cabe’s got a point,” declared Paige.

Happy emerged from the back of the garage, stuffing her phone in her pocket, nonchalant as ever. “You’re still complaining?” she grumbled at Toby.

“He hasn’t stopped,” Cabe replied.

Toby rolled his eyes. “Can you blame a guy for being so hungry after today’s case?”

Cabe shrugged. “I’m not hungry.”

Toby frowned, prompting Cabe to snicker. Happy scoffed and said, “C’mon, doc. I’ll give you a lift. We’ll stop at Kovelsky’s on the way.”

Toby pouted but followed. He pushed himself off the couch with his palms. Paige reappeared to see them off.

When Toby heard the door close behind him, he jumped behind Happy to kiss her right cheek. She smiled, despite trying to hide it while saying, “Quit it, doc. We haven’t left the premise yet.”

He grinned without pulling away. “Are you really taking me out to Kovelsky’s?”

“No,” Happy answered. “It was a cover story. Leaving together is too suspicious, so I improvised.”

“Yeah?” Toby said while he broke into a smile. “Why is it we happen to be leaving together? I _could’ve_ just hitched a ride home with Cabe.”

“Dinner,” she said. “I made reservations. At that Italian place down the street. I’m hoping it’ll shut you up about your damn stomach.”

Toby kissed her again. And again. She couldn’t hide her smile.


	4. Brings Out Your Eyes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> happy Scorpion Monday!!

_56 - “It brings out your eyes.”_

 

“Man up, numbnuts.”

“Oh, I’m sorry. My back’s a bit sore from you stabbing me with your knife.”

“Really, over a stupid video game?”

“Mario Kart is the _ultimate_ game of all games.”

“How much have you been hanging out with Sly recently?”

“...Just start the race, Hap.”

Happy hit the _A_ button on her Wii controller, selecting the map for their next race. The music started to play as the game started to load. Both of them had their fingers off the controllers. That was one of the rules for Mario Kart in the Quinn-Curtis household. Fingers off until the race officially started. No hacking into the controllers to make one of them function worse or one function better. No mind tricks to screw with each other. And those were just some of the basics. Every time they played, more were added to the list.

The countdown landed on one. Toby got a headstart, one place ahead of Happy. But she caught up quickly. Within the first bend of the course, her bike drifted past his kart. He cursed under his breath. She didn’t give him the satisfaction of a response.

They crossed the first checkpoint line. Toby fell two places behind. It didn’t take long for him to go back even further. Meanwhile, Happy climbed up the leaderboard. She tilted her head and said, “That’s a faster decline than I expected, doc.”

He pressed his lips together. “Oh, just you wait, sweetheart. I’m going to make a comeback bigger than that time I went from owing big money to owning big money to wipe the floor with the house at Lucy’s Ace in Koreatown.”

He shuddered.

Happy rolled her eyes, though she proceeded to press her lips together briefly and glance him over. But he was okay.

The action lost her spot in third place. Neither of them commented on it.

Then Toby threw a red turtle shell, knocking Happy off, and the moment was over. Toby tried not to laugh while he stole her rank.

She scowled, seething. “How the hell did you get up there so fast?” 

“It’s all in the wrist,” Toby quipped.

The race kept going. They scampered across the finish line for lap two. She started gaining speed. Of course he noticed, and of course he pressed the controller harder. His fingers twitched.

Happy grunted a stream of curses as she narrowly avoided crashing. Toby threw a banana peel back at her. She avoided it.

She hurled a turtle shell at him, this one green. It slammed into his kart.

“Cheese and crackers!” Toby yelped. Happy grinned. She resumed her position as rightful heir of third place. But she quickly overtook second, too.

Toby fell into fifth.

He struggled to maintain his place. When Happy stole first, though, he found the motivation to pick up speed.

Lap three wasn’t far behind. The final third of the race began with Happy in first and Toby about to nab fourth. Banana peels, turtle shells, and rockets flew among the pattern of zigzagging racers. Toby reached third place.

Happy smirked as the distance between her and the other competitors, including her husband, increased. The pace didn’t change for the next minute. But by the last thirty seconds of the race, Toby had miraculously taken over second place. Happy, unfazed, kept her eyes on the screen.

She had enough space on him to guarantee a victory. Until he collected a mystery box to reveal a blue turtle shell. A blue turtle shell that would go straight for the racer in first place and knock them off course. It’d be enough time for Toby, if he didn’t mess up, to take the spot.

Happy shot him a look with widened eyes and raised eyebrows. “ _Husband_ ,” she warned.

He shrugged. “I love to see you win, Happy. I swear. Victory looks good on you. It brings out your eyes.” He pressed his lips together. “But this race has my name written all over it.” He released the shell.

“Son of a _bitch_!” Happy grumbled.

While she was off to the side of the course, Toby zoomed past her. And, with the finish line in sight, he nailed the last turn for first place.


	5. What Do You Want to Watch?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have a lot of feelings about last night's episode. like, a lot. I'm writing a one-shot to work through that, so in the meantime, here's this little thing.

_45 - “What do you want to watch?”_

 

Happy padded into the living room, wearing Toby’s Harvard t-shirt and a pair of his boxers. She dropped onto the couch next to him. His arm naturally circled across her shoulders as they sunk into a familiar position. Her legs, too short to reach the coffee table, stretched over his. Her heels crossed atop his calves. The flannel material of his pajamas warmed up her feet.

“What’re you in the mood for?” Toby asked.

Happy shrugged and leaned her head onto his chest, just below his chin. “Not sure. What do _you_ want to watch?”

He puckered his lips. “Dunno.” He snatched the remote from his left and aimed it at the tv. It clicked on and he looked at her while he waited for it to load.

“Wasn’t there some show you wanted to catch up on?” she asked.

“Hell’s Kitchen?”

“That sounds right.”

“I looked up the winner a couple days ago,” he supplied. The tv switched on. Toby started channel surfing. “It was exactly who I thought it’d be.”

“Never heard that before,” Happy muttered.

“Oh!” Toby said, getting distracted before having the chance to respond, “This is that home renovating show we were watching last week.”

“I’m game. You up for it?”

“Sure. As long as I’m with you, we can watch whatever you want.”


	6. Let Me Drive

_1 - “Pull over. Let me drive for awhile.”_

 

Happy rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand. The diamond on her ring scratched against her forehead. She blinked more than usual, clearing the damn grogginess from her vision. Bright headlights greeted her whenever she opened her eyes. She had to squint as they passed by her on the other side of the road.

Toby mumbled something in the passenger seat. It sounded like her name.

She tightened her grip on the steering wheel after realizing how much it’d loosened.

Sly’s snoring, or _deviated septum_ , continued rumbling in the backseat. It wasn’t _that_ annoying anymore, now that she’d gotten used to it, but it was a little irritating. Toby didn’t snore, so when Sly was sleeping near her, it always took time to get reaccustomed.

Toby groaned. She glanced down to check on him, only to see that his eyes were slowly fluttering open. He wiped at them for a few seconds, then peered up at her. “Hap?” he muttered sleepily.

“Hey.” Happy allowed her eyes to come off the road for another brief second to look at him. “We’re almost home. You should go back to sleep.”

“How long have you been driving?”

“Don’t change the subject. After all you had to deal with today, you need some shut eye.”

He pushed himself up to be level with her. “How long have you been driving?”

Happy sighed at the increase of sternness in his tone. Her eyes shifted to him for a second, then ahead again. “I dunno. Since we left.”

“You let me sleep for _two_ hours?” Toby gestured at the clock on the dashboard. “I thought we agreed on one. You were _supposed_ to wake me up for a switcheroo.”

“Lost track of time, I guess.”

“Yeah. Nice excuse.”

“Didn’t say it was.”

He frowned, putting a gentle hand to her shoulder. “Pull over. Let me drive for awhile.”

“Toby, I’m _good_ ,” Happy answered. “We’ll be at the garage soon.”

He kept looking at her. She stared out the front window. “Sly’s catchin’ _z’s_ back there like nobody’s business. It’s a testament to how exhausted he is, considering how terrified he is of you behind the wheel. And I’m sure Paige and Walt are out like lights in Cabe’s car.” He lowered his chin. “We all endured the same thing today, sugarplum. You’re just as pooped as the rest of us.”

“Exactly my point,” replied Happy, “you’re tired. You gotta sleep. It’s fine, doc. I got it under control.”

“I already had my beauty sleep,” Toby countered softly. “Your turn.”

Happy shifted under his intense gaze. Her eyes flickered again. The speed of the truck decreased without her even realizing.

Toby’s fingers rubbed the material of her shirt, like he was finger painting different patterns. That was _not_ helpful.

She made a noise in the back of her throat, some sort of whispered whimper. It was barely loud enough for _her_ to hear it, but to him, it was still satisfactory.

She felt Toby’s gentle grin without looking. And she relented. “Okay,” she sighed. “Fine.”


	7. I Dreamt About You

_7 - “I dreamt about you last night.”_

 

Toby piled another pancake onto Happy’s plate. He’d almost used up all the batter, since, he’d made sure to have just enough. She liked three pancakes, little bit of butter, little bit of syrup on two. She always said she’d eat three, every time, but barely finished two and just put the third in the fridge. She usually ate that last one cold when they got home at night.

He spun on his heel to face the stove again. He grabbed one of the sausages from the left tabletop and bit off half. Those were just for him. Happy didn’t eat meat pre-PM.

Shutting the stove off, Toby left the pan to cool. He faced the counter again. He grabbed the knife and spread some butter across the top two cakes.

Familiar footsteps creaked down the hallway. Toby looked up. Sure enough, his beautiful wife slipped into the nearest counter seat. Still somewhat groggy, she mumbled a greeting. He leaned forward to kiss her forehead. After pulling away, he handed her the plate and a bottle of syrup. “Order’s up.”

“Mmmm. Hats off to the chef.” It was meant to sound sarcastic, but it came out genuinely appreciative.

“Speakin’ of which,” Toby swallowed another quick bite of sausage, “I dreamt about you last night.”

“That’s nothing out of the ordinary.”

“Oh, hilarious.” He walked around the counter and sat in the seat next to her. “It gave me a new idea.”

Happy cut her pancakes into smaller pieces. “What kind of idea?”

“One for bedroom fun.” He waggled his eyebrows.

“...I’m listening.”

He pointed at her with his fork. “Chef.” He aimed the utensil at himself. “Very hungry customer.”

She put some of her breakfast in her mouth. “Find the right getups, and we might just have to play hookie with Walter tomorrow.”

“Already done. Check on the door in the bathroom.”

Happy grinned and went to go change.


	8. Are You Sure?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't stop writing about a Quintis baby because I want this so badly for them damn it

_51 - “Are you sure?”_

 

Toby started his day like he did all his other days this past month. A forehead kiss for his sleeping wife, shower, coffee, breakfast, garage, near-death case, etc. It was like all the other days before then, too. The days of making lists of names and planning a nursery layout, going to doctor’s appointments, picking out furniture, reading parenting books, and all those other preparations that they needed to do. But at that point in their lives, they’d still had the future they wanted. They did still have each other now, but they didn’t have their baby.

The pain of miscarriage ran deep. Their baby had planted its roots, etched an undecided name into both of their souls. They had so much planned and so much to look forward to. They _had_ it. After a year of struggling, they had their dream. The Quinn-Curtis duo had been on its way to becoming a trio.

But life liked throwing obstacles at them. Whether it was damaging childhoods, gambling struggles, an unaccepted proposal, a false pregnancy, a jailed father, or all the other shit they had to deal with, they had it under their belts. And then, after experiencing the joys of a baby on the way, the heartache came. It came hard and it came fast, knocking each of them off their feet. They had each other to pick up the pieces, like they always did. At least they could count on that.

Only two good things had ever happened to Toby during his life. Scorpion, and Happy. And he hated admitting it, but only two good things had ever happened to her. The next one for both of them had seemed like it was on its way.

But the actual start of the _actual_ third came on a Monday morning, while he was turning the page in his book and swallowing another bite of cereal.

Happy joined him at the counter. A loose ponytail dangled behind her shoulders, pieces all over the place. She’d pulled a hoodie over her head, though Toby could see one of his t-shirts sticking out underneath.

She leaned forward to pour herself a cup of coffee. He kissed her closest hand. After pulling away, he mumbled the first syllable of _good morning_ , prepared to finish, until she cut him off.

His darling wife, the rhythm of his heartbeat, the breath in his lungs, never one to sugarcoat or deviate from the point. She looked at him, tense.

“I want to adopt.”

The pace in his chest slowed. All of the background noise bled out. He could hear his pounding heartbeat in his eardrums as his mouth went dry. He swallowed on air. “You...want to _adopt_?”

She didn’t stumble over her words. “I want a baby, Toby. But I can’t do a pregnancy again. ...Not yet.” She shook her head, hands naturally touching her stomach. “I’m ready...to give someone the chance I never had. I still want this.”

“I mean…” he shook the bewilderedness from his eyes, “are you sure?”

Disappointed, Happy’s warm eyes settled into his. “You don’t sound on board.” Her voice dulled, losing its edge.

“No, no, no, no, no.” Toby smoothed his hands over the hair on each side of her head. “Of course I am, Happy, of course I am. I want a baby, too. But...you had your heart set on getting pregnant.”

Her lips stretched out horizontally, her mouth struggling to find the right words behind them. “I know...but for the time being, I can’t get pregnant again,” she clarified. “I’ve been thinking about this. I’m sorry I didn’t mention it sooner...I didn’t think it was what you wanted. I didn’t wanna say anything until I thought it through. But I’m sure. Only if you are.”

“Happy…” his eyes twinkled, “Happy, all I’ve ever wanted is to build a life with you. I’m sorry if I ever gave off the wrong vibe after what happened...but I _do_ , Happy. I do I want a baby. I don’t really care how it happens, I just want to be a parent with you.” Her face lit up in the way only he could get it to. He kissed her nose, he kissed her eyelids, he kissed her cheek, all while whispering, “ _I love you_.”

She laughed, a genuine laugh, one of his favorite sounds in the world. It warmed his heart.

Breaking away from his lips, she pulled herself into his chest. Her arms wrapped around his body. His made the same formation, but instead around her shoulders. A tear fell into her hair before he realized he was crying.

She held his body like she was desperate to drown in him. He held her like she was his only source of air. And he kept holding her.


	9. Hold Your Hand

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is set in the beginning of their relationship

_19 - “Can I hold your hand?”_

 

Every time Happy found herself enjoying the movie, her eyes started to droop. And every time, she blinked the fatigue away with more aggression than was probably necessary.

But Toby’s hand hugged her lower back in a way that wasn’t too controlling or too far away. Her chest felt...warm. Like someone just put the Chinese food from across the room in her torso and tried to use it as a microwave. She wanted to move closer to him.

Alright. Maybe it wasn’t the movie she found herself enjoying. But if he asked about the stupid smile that kept showing up on her face, it was her cover story. After all, there were some badass explosions. She could smile at badass explosions.

Toby’s eyes kept falling on her, and she could feel the heat of his gaze. She let it go until she realized it wasn’t so easy to hide things from the world’s smartest behaviorist, even if she _was_ Happy Quinn. She shifted her head to him. “Quit staring.” She shifted back. “It’s weird.”

“Sorry,” he sputtered. “Sorry.”

Happy focused on the movie again. Apparently a lot happened. She remembered zoning out for only minute or two, but it seemed like a good section of the movie passed over her eyes without registering. Her eyebrows knitted.

After she tried to figure out what she missed, she just became confused. Confusion didn’t settle well with her. A groan rumbled out of her throat, annoyed and lost. Luckily, it didn’t sound as loud as it did in her head.

Then Toby’s eyes were on her again. “Uh-

Happy cut him off before he could make a stupid joke out of it. “It’s nothing,” she interrupted, looking for something to say. “I just…”

“Really got into the movie?” he suggested.

Her eyebrows furrowed further. “No. I just...I wanna hold your hand. No big deal.”

Toby blinked. “What?”

She cleared her throat, finding her voice. The first thing she thought of might not have been good, but she went with it anyway. “Can I hold your hand, dummy?”

He blinked again, but this time to clear his expression. He removed his palm from behind her back and held it out like she was the owner. “You never had to ask.”

And then she couldn’t stop thinking about his damn hand.


	10. I Picked These For You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> some of these one-shots are so short and kinda pointless but *shrug* I love writing this domestic nonsense

_43 - “I picked these for you.”_

 

Happy closed the door behind her as she entered the apartment. She slid the box of donuts onto the counter before shrugging her jacket off. Toby greeted her from the bathroom. He joined her in the kitchen a few seconds later, pulling a shirt over his wet hair. He kissed her forehead.

“Was the bank busy this morning?” he asked.

“No more than usual.” She shrugged. “I hate this new place.”

“Yeah. So do I. But after witnessing an attempted robbery on our special day at the other one, I’m happy about the switch.” He sat in the chair closest to her.

“Agreed.”

Toby’s brows shot up. “You got donuts?” He nodded at the box.

“Oh, yeah. There’s a new shop across from the bank. I figured I’d give it a shot,” Happy explained. She lifted the lid to reveal its contents. “They’ve got a bunch of weird flavors. I picked these for you.”

Rubbing his palms together, he grinned. “You are the best wife a guy could ask for.” He grabbed one of the donuts. “Any clue what this is supposed to be?”

She took a glimpse. “Peanut butter with jelly frosting.”

“Ooooh.” He bit into it and replied with his mouth full. “Let the taste testing begin.” 


	11. You're Beautiful

_50 - “I think you’re beautiful.”_

 

“Son of a bitch!”

Toby bolted to the bedroom at the sound of her swear. There was a loud thud, presumably one of his limbs against the wall. She winced. He tumbled over the threshold, holding his knee with both hands.

“Have no fear,” he fell to the ground, “the doctor is here!”

Happy rolled her eyes. “Stop being so paranoid. We’ve been over this. Not every little thing means I’m having pregnancy problems.”

He watched with a concerned frown. “You’re okay? Nothing’s wrong? You don’t feel nauseous or-”

“ _Doc_.”

He pouted. She matched his gaze intensely, and that got him to stop. “Okay, okay. Sorry. Forca habit.”

“Then quit it. I don’t need you tripping over yourself. You’re gonna get hurt.”

Lips pressed together, he nodded. “Got it.” He managed to stand up, although his attention went straight for his knee. His hands jumped to grab it. “Ow, my patella.”

“You okay?”

“Mmm,” he held onto the wall, “peachy keen, my jellybean.” She watched him with worried eyes, but he quickly changed the subject. “So, if it’s not our little bambino, what’s a matter?”

Happy blinked. “What?”

“Well, somethin’ didn’t sound right in here.”

“Oh.” She clenched her jaw. “My jacket.” She smoothed her hands down the sides. “It’s the fifth one I’ve tried on. They’re all too damn small.”

“Not excited about the weight gain, huh?” The corner of his lip quirked downwards empathetically.

She furrowed her eyebrows. “I could give less of a damn about how I look. I just want my clothes to fit.”

Toby smiled and it touched his eyes. Their glint made her warm. “We can get you new threads, Hap.” A groan rumbled in her throat, prompting him to hobble closer. “For the record, I think you’re beautiful. I mean, you’re _always_ beautiful. But if anyone can pull off the hot mama in leather, it’s Happy Quinn.”

Happy looked at him. She didn’t argue and she didn’t agree, but she didn’t say anything, either. She shrugged her shoulders out of the jacket, tossing it into the pile with the others.

“You _are_ beautiful, Happy,” he said. “The most beautiful woman in the world.”


	12. I’ll Drive You

_44 - “I’ll drive you to the hospital.”_

 

Happy took her leftovers out of the microwave when it beeped. They didn’t smell nearly as good as they did last night, but she didn’t care. She was starving.

She opened the silverware drawer and pulled out a fork. She mixed the chicken and broccoli around in the container.

Toby yelped from the bathroom. Happy, with furrowed brows, looked up from her food. “Toby? You good in there?”

There was a pause, making her freeze. “Yeah. All good in the hood, Hap.”

She narrowed her eyes. He was _not_ good.

She abandoned her leftovers on the counter, walking down the hallway and into the bathroom. Water ran from the shower head, she could hear it. She whipped the curtain open. Her husband sat, crouched against the wall, knees pulled up to his chest. His body dripped.

She shut the water off before dropping to his level. He was clearly in pain. “ _All good in the hood_ ,” she mocked.

Toby opened his mouth, then closed it. “Well, I didn’t want you to worry.” He didn’t bother covering himself. She’d seen him naked enough times. She _was_ his wife, after all.

Happy raised her chin and eyed his ankle. She may not have been a doctor, but she could still tell it didn’t look right. “I am worried. What happened?”

He sighed, spewing water droplets. His brown eyes settled on her. “One second, I’m nailing the chorus to I Will Survive, and the next, I’m on the ground.”

“C’mon, Gloria Gaynor.” She extended her hand. “I’ll drive you to the hospital.”

Shaking his head, Toby knitted his eyebrows and made a circle with his lips. “Hospital? Why would I need to go visit a bunch of dim-witted quacks in scrubs just so they give me a diagnosis I can do at home?”

“Because,” her hand tensed, “you’re gonna either downplay your injury or you’re not gonna acknowledge it at all so Cabe doesn’t get the chance to make fun of you.”

He scoffed.

Happy raised a stern eyebrow. “Am I wrong?”

He melted under her glare, shoulders shrinking into his chest. “No. ...I probably sprained my ankle.”

“ _Toby_!” she chastised.

He shrugged. “What? ...It doesn’t feel... _that_ bad.”

She rolled her eyes. “Let’s go.” She wrapped her hand around his and pulled. “We’re going to the hospital.”

“Happy-”

He let her pull him anyway.

“Do _not_ argue with me, doc.” She put his arm across her shoulders, helping him walk. “We’re going. ...But you gotta put on some clothes first.”


	13. I’m Coming

_83 - “Stay there. I’m coming to get you.”_

 

Happy had been in the bathroom for less than two minutes before her husband got himself into trouble. When she went back to the bedroom, she saw he had wedged himself between the bed’s footboard and the mattress, right side up. His back was to the footboard.

Well. Apparently there _was_ enough space for someone to get stuck, which was the exact theory they were about to test. Not the way she expected, but it was proven all the same. They’d been testing for Grace, to ensure that she couldn’t get stuck. At least now they knew.

Happy snickered. “So, not only do we have to baby-proof the apartment for a genius, but for a Toby, too.”

“Oh, hey, Hap.” The limited space had pressed his face against the mattress and muffled his voice. “As you can see, I seem to have gotten myself into a _bit_ of a pickle.”

She tapped one of his feet, hanging out from the side. “I missed the part of the plan that involved you getting stuck.”

“Well, I didn’t _mean_ to. I’m not really sure how this happened,” Toby said. He tried moving, but he barely shifted.

“For not knowing how this happened, you’re pinned in there pretty good,” she remarked, smirking.

“Is this how it feels to be a pancake? My insides don’t like it that much.”

“I wonder why.” Happy inspected his position from all angles, doing a lap around the bed. He winked at her when she stood in front of him, but she couldn’t see his other eye, so it looked like he was twitching. She raised a brow.

Retracing her steps, she walked to the other side of the bedroom and out the door.

“Wait! _Happy_! Where are you going?” Toby asked, panicked.

“Hold your horses,” she called from the living room.

“Even if I wanted to, I can’t move my hands.”

She rolled her eyes. “Just stay there. I’m coming to get you.”

“Did I not just say I can’t move?”

“I’m getting my toolbag, dummy. However the hell you got in there is not the way you’re gonna get out. I need to dismantle the bed.”

“Oh.” She came back to the bedroom with her bag. The bed squeaked as he tried shifting his head. “Just please hurry up, lovebug. I gotta take a tinkle.”


	14. Don’t Cry

_39 - “Don’t cry.”_

 

Their eyes were locked on the ultrasound picture, the first glimpse they’d ever gotten of their baby. Black and white, small, and just a little blob, it wasn’t much to look at. But for them, it was everything.

He sat on the left and she sat on the right, taking up the majority of the couch. They’d probably have to get a new one when the baby came. It was barely big enough for the two of them.

Happy had her head on his shoulder, his arm pulling her shoulders to his side. They’d been looking at the same thing for...how much time had passed? Twenty minutes? It wasn’t something geniuses usually did. Hell, it wasn’t something normals usually did. But the picture, the baby growing inside Happy’s stomach, was what they’d been dreaming of for a long time. And both of them had a hard time believing that their baby was finally on its way, after all the struggles they’d endured.

It was real, though. Their love had made something tangible. A mix of both of them, growing every day. The woman who thought she’d spend her entire life alone, and the guy who thought he’d never amount to anything, had made something special.

One tear fell from Toby’s cheek, landing in Happy’s hair. She smiled up at him, despite him not seeing it. Another one fell. And when a third followed, she shifted her head to him. Using her thumb, she wiped his skin dry. “Hey. Doc. Don’t cry.”

He shook his head without looking at her. “Sorry. Sorry. I just….” he shook again, sputtering. “That’s our baby, Hap. _Our_ baby.”

She shifted her eyes to connect with his, revealing her teeth in a smile that practically reached her forehead. “I know.”

“It’s...it’s you and me.”

She used the same soft tone as she had before when she repeated, “I know.”

He choked on all the words trying to come out at once. “I just...I love you, Happy. _God_ , I love you _so_ much.”

“I love you, too.”


	15. Close Your Eyes

_33 - “Close your eyes and hold out your hands.”_

 

“Close your eyes and hold out your hands.”

Toby made an expression that fell between amused and hesitant. “Why does you saying that scare me?”

Happy shoved her palm into his arm. He yelped. “Just do it.”

“What’s the magic word?”

“How about forgo?” she countered without missing a beat. “As in, your wife will _forgo_ any bedroom activity bedsides actual _sleep_ tonight if you don’t shut your eyes and gimme those mitts.”

He puffed his cheeks out. “I was looking for _abracadabra_ ,” he quipped, “but that works.”

Toby did as she asked. Happy’s footsteps echoed in the apartment as she ventured down the hallway. She was back in a matter of seconds that were forever for Toby and his curiosity. When she returned, she dropped something small and smooth into his hands. He puckered his lips and ventured a guess. “This couldn’t possibly be a video of you with the Egyptian costume on, could it?”

“Nope,” Happy replied. “Don’t expect me to ever put that on again. Cabe ruined it for me.”

Toby sighed. “Worth a shot.” He ran his fingers along the object, feeling for an idea of what it could be.

But when he started to suggest one, Happy shut him down. She put a hand on his arm. “Cut it out. You’re gonna wanna see this.”

Her serious tone left no room for argument. He didn’t press, but instead opened his eyes to the small cardboard box, a few inches bigger than his palm.

He pulled the lid off. A wad of bunched of toilet paper took up the space. He gave Happy a look, but she nodded at his hands.

So he unraveled it.

And his whole world changed.

He raised his head to her slowly, breathing heavy and hard. His eyes grew to the size of watermelons. He couldn’t feel himself breath and almost dropped the positive pregnancy stick. Happy couldn’t stop smiling.

“You’re pregnant?” he practically whispered.

“Yeah.” She nodded. “We’re pregnant.”

He jumped into her arms and planted a million kisses across her head. “Happy…”

She gave a soft laugh into his chest. “Told you you’d wanna open the box.”


	16. It Can Wait

_62 - “It can wait until tomorrow.”_

 

Happy put her screwdriver off to the side. She pushed an irritating stray hair from her face. The radio she wanted to fix for Ralph was proving more difficult than she initially realized. It should’ve been a simple adjustment, but he did mention he’d messed around with the wiring. And she hadn’t figured out what he’d exactly done yet.

She shifted through her tool bag for the right thing. Too small. Too big. Too small. ...The glasses from her costume last night? What the hell were those doing in there?

“Hap! I’m home.”

Happy looked up, putting the tools back in the bag. She put the glasses back, too, but in the front pocket. “How was the grocery store?”

“Same as always.” Toby dropped several brown paper bags onto the counter. “I got dinner. And a surprise.”

“Surprise, huh?” Happy returned her eyes to the deconstructed radio in her lap. “You didn’t see a poster of a cat up for adoption and bring it home again, did you? Is it in one of those bags?”

He repressed a grin and shook his head. “No, I won’t break my promise.”

“Better not.”

He crossed the room to stand in front of her. “I got something even better.”

“New costume?”

“Beanboozled!” Toby exclaimed.

Knitting her brows, Happy peered at him. “What the hell is that?”

“Beanboozled!” he repeated. When her facial expression didn’t change and merely remained confused, he sprinted back to the brown bags. He angled his head over all of them as he looked for something. Finding it, he brought the item over.

The purple plastic container didn’t impress Happy. In fact, the creases on her forehead deepened. She inspected the multicolored labeling. “Jelly beans?”

“Not just _any_ jelly beans,” he replied with an attitude of a car salesman. “They’ve got the most whacked out flavors imaginable. Boogers, dirty diaper, toenail clippings-”

She blanched, wrinkling her nose. “That’s disgusting. Why would you waste your money on crap like that?”

“You didn’t let me finish! There’s a catch.”

“I think I’ve heard enough, doc.” She rolled her eyes.

“I wouldn’t tell you this if I didn’t think you’d be interested.” Toby raised an eyebrow to compliment his tone. He gestured the container towards her, pointing at the list of flavors on the side. “Every gross flavor has an identical one. But it’s a normal flavor. Like coconut or green apple or something. You don’t know which one’s which until you conduct a taste test.”

“So, what are you supposed to do? Go fish and hope you come out with a good one?”

“Sort of. You and I take two lookalikes and eat ‘em. Hopefully we have good luck.” He rattled the container like an instrument. “One of us might, and one of us might not.”

Interested, Happy’s lips quirked upwards, despite her attempts to repress it. She placed the radio on the table. “I can’t believe I’m about to say this,” she shook her head, “but I’m in.” 

With a huge lopsided grin, he pulled the lid halfway off, but then he nodded in front of her. “Wait. What about Ralph’s radio?”

“It can wait until tomorrow.” She stood up. “He doesn’t even know I’m fixing it yet.”


	17. Stronger

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not exactly sure how this quote is a way to say "I love you" but I guess it can be, if you write it in a certain way. I didn't. so this is more of a Quintis one-shot, I think. if that makes sense.

_ 22 - “It’s not heavy. I’m stronger than I look.”  _

 

The floorboards groaned under the stress in weight. Happy grunted.

She removed her hands from the crib and exited her lunging position. Her boots squeaked. She couldn’t get the damn thing to move. Now that Toby was insisting on having all the right furniture and putting it exactly where their baby, who would not even be a talking intellectual, could feel most at home or whatever, the initial layout required adjustments. The crib needed to be moved across the nursery. But Happy hadn’t exactly designed the thing to be mobile. 

Circling around the crib, she evaluated its specs, and the schematics of the room. She calculated the angle to push at and the amount of force needed to get the crib where she wanted. It only took a couple seconds to do the math. 

When she positioned herself correctly, she pushed. Of course, her calculations proved perfect. The crib actually moved. It was a little slow, but she made more progress than she had before. The floorboards protested again and she still ignored them.

She gave a strained grumble. Toby called her name questioningly from the kitchen. But he appeared in the doorway before she even thought of a response. 

“Whoa. Hey, hey, hey, hey.” He scrambled towards her. “What the hell is  _ this _ ?” 

Happy stopped her task and stood up to her full height. She faced him as he bordered on her personal space bubble. “Since you’re all excited about having the perfect feng shui in the nursery, some stuff’s gotta get moved around.” 

Widening his eyes, Toby lowered his chin. “That doesn’t mean you can  _ strain _ yourself like this!” 

“It’s not heavy. I’m stronger than I look.”

His voice softened after he gave a long exhale. “I know that. You’re the strongest person I know.” He moved close enough to put one hand on each side of her small stomach bump. “But you’re  _ also _ pregnant.” 

“No duh.” 

She gave him a look and started to pull away, but he kept his fingers pressed to her wrist. 

“ _ Happy _ . That’s not what I meant.” Her feet halted at his touch. He stepped in front of her so their eyes could meet. “You need to be careful.” 

“I think I can handle something as simple as redecorating,” she countered, like it was too obvious for her to bother saying. Each of her words were clipped at varying lengths, but they showed enough. 

He gradually raised his chin in comprehension. “Ohhhh...I think I see what’s going on here.” Dr. Curtis threw around medical terms and analyses in Toby’s head. He glanced at the crib before settling on her. He wrapped his fingers around hers. “Sweetheart...you are still a badass even if you’ve got a bun in the oven. You don’t have to prove anything.” 

“I’m not trying to,” Happy said.

“ _ Happy _ .” Toby softly dragged out her name, raising his eyebrows in challenge. 

“I’m not…” she frowned, “losing sight of myself. Or whatever, if that’s what you’re getting at.” 

“Well that’s  _ good _ ,” he answered, “but it’s not what I meant. You,” he angled his pointer finger, “do not want to be perceived as weak by me. Or anyone else. You’re trying to make sure I still see you like that.” 

Happy pursed her lips. She scanned his face, running her hands over his. The words she wanted to say were on her tongue, Toby could see them, but she didn’t force them out. She closed her mouth, opened it, and closed it again. It didn’t matter. She said all she needed to with her expression.

“Do you realize that being pregnant just proves how strong you are?” he whispered. 

He tilted his head to the side. She scrunched her forehead. He gave her hands a squeeze. “Pregnancy doesn’t negate your toughness. Physical vulnerability doesn’t mean you’re weak. And if you’re trying to prove it to me, well, you don’t have to. But if you’re trying to prove it to yourself, we gotta work through that. In the meantime, just don’t do anything that can potentially hurt you  _ or _ the baby.” 

Her eyes flicked towards the floor, but they were immediately drawn back up to Toby. Her tone was so raw. Her tone was so  _ human _ . “Guess I’m overdue for a session with my shrink, anyway.” 

Toby kissed her, leisurely and gently. “The Doctor is in the house.” 


	18. Seatbelt

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> happy Scorpion Monday!!

_ 80 - “Is your seatbelt on?” _

 

“Is your seatbelt on?”

“I’m about to pop a  _ kid _ out of my underside. Why the hell wouldn’t my seatbelt be on?”

“Because you’re overly stressed.” Toby turned the key in the ignition. “You’re in labor, you’re freaking out, and you’re very uncomfortable, so the last thing on your mind right now is your seatbelt. But I’m not leaving until you’re strapped in.”

Happy growled. “Toby, that’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever-” she looked down, “Son of a bitch. It’s not on.”

“See?”

She clicked it in place. “Shut up so we can get the hell out of here and go have this baby.”

He revved the engine. “Yes, ma’am.” 


	19. I Hope You Like It

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is set the morning after 4x12

_ 91 - “I hope you like it.” _

 

Toby checked the time on the clock when he woke up. Much later than either of them had anticipated to sleep in till. But, since they stayed in Walter’s hospital room until the early AM, it wasn’t too much of a surprise. And the late hours were on  _ top _ of all yesterday’s stress. 

Happy stirred when he did. Within seconds, she was awake enough for him not to coax her back to sleep. Her messy hair curled around her face.

Toby whispered, “Merry Christmas.”

“Merry Christmas, doc,” she answered sleepily. 

He kissed her forehead. 

She pushed herself up in the bed, taking a pause to gain her bearings. She moved some hair to the side. “I have a present for you.”

“Oooh. My own little Mrs. Claus,” Toby said. He raised his pointer finger. “Costume idea.” 

“Noted.” Happy rubbed the sleep from her eyes and yawned before giving him her full attention. She scratched the back of her head. “Ever wanted to watch a baseball game at your old school with your dad?”   


“Well, I mean, yeah. But it wasn’t  _ old _ then. It was like a fresh slap in the face every day.” He puckered his lips and raised his eyebrows. “Where are you going with this?”   


“Instead of a father, you got a wife. We fly out next week.” She looked down, then back up. “I uh, I hope you like it.” 

Toby’s heart melted in his chest. “Happy... _ Happy _ , I love it. ... _ Thank you _ .” 

“Alright.” She laughed, relieved. “I guess I didn’t do so bad for our first married Christmas, huh?”

“Not at all.” He squeezed her hands. “Speaking of which, we’re goin’ to the racetrack in a few days. Not to gamble, obviously. But to watch some aggressive drivers rack up thousands in repair costs.” 

Happy smiled. A big, cheeky smile, one she didn’t bring out much. She snuck one arm between his back and the bed, then wrapped the other across her chest. She leaned her head in. “I love you.”

He put his lips to her hair. “I love  _ you _ .” 


	20. Under the Mat

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is set early in their relationship
> 
> woohoo 20% of this is posted!

_ 84 - “The key is under the mat.” _

  
  
Happy was driving home when her phone buzzed. She didn’t bother waiting  for the nearest stoplight to check the message, slipping it out of her pocket. It was from Toby.    


_ Wanna grab dinner? _ Before she could answer, he sent another.  _ We can do Chinese. _ And another.  _ Oooh, or Italian. _ And another.  _ I can make you something, too. I should know your favorite, but I don’t. _ Then another.  _ I can guess it. _ Then a fifth.  _ Pasta? I make a mean Bolognese sauce. _ _   
_

Happy simultaneously rolled her eyes and groaned. She quickly typed out,  **I’m only coming over if you quit blowing up my phone.**

Within seconds, he said,  _ My bad. _   


She smirked.    
****

**I’ll pick up takeout on my way over.**   


_ Okie dokie. _   


_ The key is under the mat. _   


_ See you soon. _

* * *

“Clever hiding place.”    


He grinned. “Simple psychology, Hap. Since it’s such an obvious spot, no one would actually think to peek under there.”   


“Maybe no one would think to  _ peek _ there because the mat is hideous enough to scare them off.” She set the paper takeout bags on counter.   


“Hey.” Toby put a hand to his chest. “I take offense to that.”   


“My  _ eyes _ take offense to seeing that thing,” she deadpanned.    


“Well, maybe you and my welcome just have to get better acquainted.”   


“You’re on your way to your groin getting acquainted with my boot.” Her voice wasn't genuinely malicious, but playful.    


Toby grinned. “Kinky.”   


“Shut up.”


	21. I Made Your Favorite

_ 15 - “I made your favorite.”  _

 

Happy groaned as the oven beeped at her. “I  _ hear _ you! Anyone with ears in a ten mile radius  _ hears _ you.” It kept going. She shoved oven mitts on her hands. Smoke curled out both sides of the oven. She pushed past it to open the door and pull the burnt tray out. “Son of a bitch.” The tray clattered as she threw it on the stovetop. 

The beeping ceased. She sighed, relieved. 

Despite the pumping in her ears, she could hear the water stop in the shower. 

She jumped on top of the counter, not bothering to kick of her boots first. Unscrewing the smoke alarm from the wall, she quickly dismantled the thing before it could go off. 

Happy hopped onto the floor. “Fire extinguisher,” she muttered, opening cabinets. “Where’s the damn fire extinguisher?” She coughed away some of the smoke.

Only after a few seconds of waving at the gray cloud, she got frustrated and changed tasks. She looked for ingredients to build her own extinguisher. 

A white blanket covered her vision, cold and weird to the touch. Her lungs loudly protested. It disappeared just about as quickly as it came, taking the smoke with it. Some covered various spots on the countertop, though.

She cleared her throat as Toby marched into view, brandishing a worried expression and their fire extinguisher. “There it is,” she mumbled.

“What happened? Are you okay?” 

“I decided to cook, that’s what happened,” Happy answered. She brushed her clothes off. “I made your favorite dinner.”

“Looks…” Toby examined the burnt meal on the stovetop from a distance, “ _ crispy _ .” 

“I wanted to make chicken pot  _ pie _ not...chicken pot  _ die _ .” 

“Oh, I appreciate that, Hap.” He dropped the extinguisher and jogged over to put his hands on her shoulders. “I do. But you really don’t have to go through the trouble.” 

“You mean I don’t have to nearly burn the house down?” She cocked an eyebrow.

He frowned. “That’s not what I said.” 

“It’s what you meant.” She looped her arms loosely around his neck. “No big deal. I’m not a good chef. So what?”   


“So, I don’t want you thinking you’re bad at  _ anything _ ,” he protested.

She rolled her eyes. “I love you, but cram it. I tested a hypothesis, to see if my cooking skills were really that crappy. Your failed dinner is the evidence. I’m good at a lot of things, but not this.”

Toby sighed, but didn’t give her the response she was looking for. “Takeout?”   


“I’ll call.” 


	22. Take a Deep Breath

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've kinda been on fluff overload lately, so wanted to write some angst, and then I realized I could sneak an "I love you" prompt into this and kill two birds with one stone. it's also gonna be posted as a standalone. so yeah, this is not a happy one.

_ 98 - “Take a deep breath.” _

 

“Stay with me, doc. You aren’t going anywhere. You hear me?”

His voice cracked. He pulled a bloody hand away from the stab wound on his chest. “Well, when you say it like that I don’t really have a choice.”

“Stop screwing around,” she said. But he didn’t sound playful, despite trying. He sounded scared. She didn’t have much to command. She cradled his beaten body in her arms, viciously freeing her fingers when the tears overwhelmed her eyes to wipe them away.

“I’m lightening the mood,” he replied, drawing a long breath. “At least I’m not punning.”

She put a hand to her comm. “Walt. It doesn’t take that long to get help.  _ Move your ass _ .”

“Happy…” he flipped his hand so the bloody side didn’t touch her face, “it’s not his fault. You know I would never say that unless I meant it.”

“He’s bleeding out!” she screamed. 

He licked his lips. “Hey, hey, hey, I’m gonna be okay, baby. I’m gonna be okay.”

“Just stay awake.”

He brushed his knuckles over her cheek. “I’m here, Hap.”

She pulled him closer, taking her fingers away from the comm. “You can’t die on me. I won’t let you.”

He smiled. His breathing was staggered, making her nervous. “You’re the one reason I’m alive, anyway.”

She kept her eyes away from the blood. They steeled into his with a desperate plea, a desperate beg. She was trembling, eyes squinted and face flushed. She looked scared, like she was about to lose the whole world. But she also looked like she was about to destroy it. Her shoulders hunched as she moved him even closer to her. His head fell into the crook of her elbow. 

“Damn Walter,” she muttered. 

“It’s okay,” he soothed. “ _ Happy _ .” She stared disapprovingly. The corners of his lips rose, reassuring. “ _ Happy _ . It’s okay.”

“Can I perform some field surgery? You can give me a step-by-step.” 

He shook his head. “I’ve been running through possible solutions since that jerk cut me open like a pizza. But from what I can see, and the materials we have in the middle of the desert, it’s not happening until Walt gets that doctor and the right supplies. ...Hopefully, my stabber doesn’t come back in the meantime. Don’t know where he headed after running off…”

She chewed tensely in her bottom lip. “Toby, there’s gotta be something, right?” 

“I don’t think so, sweetheart.”

“I can’t-“ her voice broke, “I can’t just...sit here and watch you bleed out. There had to be something. You’re the smartest damn doctor in the whole damn world, Toby! Figure it out!” She started screaming again.

“Happy, Happy, calm down, okay?” He ran his hand down her hair. “It’s gonna be okay. Take a deep breathe. Just breathe. It’s gonna be okay.”

But it wasn’t okay. She was never okay again.


	23. I Want You to Be Happy

_ 92 - “I want you to be happy.” _

 

“I can’t settle on just one kid.” Happy sighed, pushing the adoption papers towards the other side of the table. “I thought we’d just find the right kid and that’d be it. But it’s a lot... _ harder _ .” 

Toby laced their fingers together. He scooted his seat closer to hers. The feet scraped against their kitchen floor. “Well, you see yourself in most of these kids, Hap. Lonely and dejected, maybe reclusive. You might not have even realized it until just now, but you do.”

“And that complicates things?” She turned her head to him, their gazes moving from the papers to each other.  

“Yeah, cause you wanna help all of ‘em. But that’s a lot of college tuitions we don’t have the bank for.”

Happy closed her eyes, running her free hand over her face. “All these kids need a home. All of them... _ need _ someone.”

“I know. I know, sweetheart. I wanna help them too.” His voice sharpened, scratching away the playfulness. He squeezed her hand. “But for right now…”

“We can only adopt one.” Exhaling heavily, she squeezed back. “Yeah. I know.”

“I’m sorry, baby.” 

She opened her eyes. Tongue circling over her lips, she scanned the papers. “Who do you think you want?” 

“I want  _ you _ to be happy, Happy.”

“That wasn’t the question, Toby.”

He played with her fingers as his eyes settled into hers again. “I wanna be a parent with you. It doesn’t matter where the kid’s from, what they look like, or what they smell like. ...Actually no. I take that back.” He shook his head. “The point is, I’m just happy that we’re doing this. Okay? Whatever you choose...whatever  _ we _ choose, is good with me.” 

Happy nodded, slowly at first before her movement picked up the pace. She looked back to the table. “Then let’s find someone who needs help the most.” 


	24. One More Chapter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't really know how this is a way to say "I love you" but whatever

_ 30 - “One more chapter.”  _

 

“And that about covers the sickness and disease portion of our story, thanks for your keen interest, folks,” Toby said, using the same voice he did after finishing every other chapter so far, like an oddly enthused tour guide. 

Happy wrinkled her nose. She was the only “ _ folks _ ” around. “Don’t ever read me something like that again.”

He put the parenting book face down in his lap, losing the voice. “It’s important to know all the possible illnesses for a baby, Happy.”   


“Why do  _ I _ need to know if the father is the smartest doctor ever?” 

“Oh, don’t flatter your way out of this, Quinn.” He wagged his pointer finger at her. “It’s important so you can be just as prepared as me. You’ve gotta know what can go wrong in order to protect Baby Quintis best we can.” 

She grumbled something under her breath, relenting. Her jaw twitched. “I guess you’re right.” 

“Somehow I don’t hear that much, but it’s always true.” 

Happy rolled her eyes. “We just can’t leave off there for the night. Otherwise, I’ll have dreams about  _ Gastroesophageal Reflux _ .” 

“Alright.” Toby pulled the book into his hands. “One more chapter. And then we both need some sleep.” He cleared his throat. “The Art of Changing Diapers…” 


	25. Stay Over

_ 66 - “Stay over.”  _

 

Happy woke up to the sound of Toby getting dressed. She blinked and rubbed at her eyes. When her vision cleared, she saw him across the living room, pulling his jeans over his legs. She clicked her phone on to check the time. Almost midnight. 

As she gained her bearings, she stretched her neck. 

“Sorry. Didn’t mean to wake you.” Toby pressed a quick kiss to her forehead before slipping his t-shirt over his head. “I was just about to head home.” 

She didn’t speak an answer, just hummed her throat in understanding. But she frowned. He noticed immediately. The pace he had while shrugging on his jacket slowed to a complete stop, only one arm in its sleeve. “What’s wrong?”

Happy answered before her brain even got a chance to consult. “Don’t go.”

He stilled, becoming more frozen than he already was. “What?”   


“Stay over-stay the night.” She pushed herself up on her couch, realizing how little clothes she had on and keeping the blanket drawn around her. 

“Are you sure?” A smile pushed the corners of his lips up. 

“Yeah.” His smile elicited one from her, too. 

Knitted brows appeared on his forehead. They didn’t match his grin. “What happens when Walt sees us walk in together tomorrow morning?”

“How about we cross that bridge when we come to it?”

Happy, with a blanket across her shoulders, picked up Toby’s hand and led him to the bedroom.

 


	26. Saved You a Seat

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this one does't have that much Quintis interaction but it was fun to write

_ 87 - “I saved you a seat.”  _

 

“Happy, where’s your husband?” Paige asked. “We’re about to start the movie.”

“He’s still picking up Cabe, remember? Should be here soon.”

“Toby has seen this movie enough times. Paige, start it anyway,” Walter announced. 

“Walt, you don’t have the authority to say that.  _ The Princess Bride _ is his all-time favorite movie. We can’t hit play without him,” Happy scolded. The sudden rise in her voice echoed across the sky on the roof, projecting for at least a mile. 

“We can vote,” suggested Ralph. 

Paige nodded. “That’s fair.” 

“All in favor of beginning without Toby?” Walter proposed. 

Sly, Walter, and Paige raised their hands. That left just Happy and Ralph to vote opposingly. Happy frowned. “Sly, what the hell, dude?”   


He shrugged somewhat guiltily. “Toby ate my last yogurt this morning...he said he didn’t mean to but I know he did.”

Happy rolled her eyes. “Traitor.”

“Talk about traitors,” Paige griped. She looked at her son, who merely gave the same shrug as Sylvester.

“Fine. But before anything else happens,” Happy marched out of her seat and across the garage’s roof over to Walter, “I’m gonna need this.”

“Happy, what are you doing?” he questioned, craning his neck behind him for a better view.

“This is the most comfortable chair. If you wanna be a jerk to my husband, it’s not yours anymore. You can have the rickety one we make Cabe sit in.”

“I didn’t agree to this,” Walter protested. 

“ _ Happy _ ,” Paige chastised. 

Happy put one hand on each side. “You can get out of this the easy way, O’Brien, or I can knock you on your ass. Your choice.”

“I might’ve picked the wrong side,” Sly muttered to Ralph. Everyone else could hear it, though.

Happy raised an eyebrow intimidatingly. Walter wasn’t willing to fight. He stood up, releasing Paige’s hand, and stepped away from the chair.

Happy smiled both victoriously and mischievously. “Pleasure doing business with you, boss.”

Lifting the chair, which was almost bigger than her, she carried it over to where her own was planted. She grabbed the smaller one and gave it to Walter. She sat back down. 

Paige glanced at Walter’s grimace, but hit play without another word. The opening credits rolled on the projector screen they’d set up against the garage’s wall. 

Happy and Ralph exchanged a fist bump before settling in. He didn’t usually side with someone else over Walter, but it was only fair this time. She shared some of the extra space under blanket with him.

Somewhere in the midst of Buttercup’s heartbreak, Toby and Cabe strode through the door. Toby started to yell at everyone for playing the movie without him, but once he saw the scene, he shut up and booked it to his seat. Cabe took his time to the chair on the left side of Ralph. 

“Oh. Hey, doc.” Happy gestured to her right. “I saved you a seat.” 


	27. Call Me

_ 77 - “Call me if you need anything.” _

  
Happy popped another handful of oyster crackers into her mouth. “What the hell, dude?” she yelled at the tv. “Go in from the  _ left _ , you dumbass! Not the  _ right _ . Even Cabe knows  _ that _ .”    


Shrugging his jacket on, Toby entered the living room. “You must really get a kick out of yelling at that show, cause you’ve been watching it for like three hours.”   


“These guys are doing everything wrong,” she grumbled, gesturing forward. “They’re rebuilding cars. Say they’re the best in the business. Morons.”   


“You wanna know what I think?” he asked with a little more Dr. Curtis than she wanted to hear. 

“No.”

“I think you’re gonna lose your voice, Happy.”

“I think  _ you _ need to can it,” she snapped. He pouted, and she briefly flashed her eyes at him. “Sorry.”

He smiled toothlessly. “No worries, sweetheart. You just need to take a break.”

“And this is coming from the guy who marathoned twelve straight hours of  _ Friends _ ?”

Toby shrugged with false guilt. He glanced between her and the tv, then glimpsed the screen on his watch. “I’m heading to the grocery store. Call me if you need anything.”

“More crackers?” She shook the nearly empty box. 

“No. More oyster crackers will tempt you to keep watching this. Your mind will think it’s okay to keep sitting here with a fresh new box.”

“Damn it, doc.”

She threw a handful of crackers at him. Snatching the car keys, he scurried to the door before she could hurl anything heavier. “Bye, babe! Love you!”


	28. Did You Get My Note?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I changed letter to note cause it made much more sense.

_ 47 - “Did you get my letter?” _

 

Happy hopped onto Toby’s desk, swinging her legs over his drawers. “Hey. Mopey. Did you get my note?”

He blinked up at her slowly, with the same frown he’d been wearing all day. “Huh?”

“My _ note _ .” She used her heel to kick a drawer. “You’ve been grumpy ever since my dad took Grace for the weekend. I thought I’d do something to cheer you up. It’s in your desk.”

He cocked his head. “Why’d you kill a tree just to say something you could’ve told me face to face?”

“ _ Because _ , dummy. I was tryna...y’know, turn that frown upside down,” Happy answered. “I slipped it in your desk this morning. Thought you would’ve seen it by now.”

He put his hand on her thigh, smiling appreciatively. “Sorry I’ve been such a grump. I just miss my little girl,” he muttered. 

“You think I don’t?”

Toby pressed his lips together. He gently pushed each of her legs to the side and opened the top drawer in his desk. He pulled out a folded slip of white paper. A splotch of motor oil stained the bottom right corner. His name was scrawled in her print across the center. Toby closed the drawer and unraveled the paper. His eyebrow shot up as he read. “What is this? A list of costumes?”

“Ideas. One for every night we have to ourselves.” Happy patted his cheek. “So you know what you’re in for.”

“Oh, Happy…”

“There’s a couple pictures in the drawer. I tried some on.” He opened his mouth, but she interrupted with, “Don’t say anything. Just start thinking about it.” 

Toby grinned from ear to ear. He laced their fingers together. “You’re the best wife a guy could ask for.”

“I know.”


	29. I'll Wait

_ 23 - “I’ll wait.” _

 

Happy and Toby took up most of the space in the closet, both of their front sides facing the door. There was barely enough room for the both of them. And if they hadn’t been comfortable with so little room between their bodies, it wouldn’t have worked. But it did, and the gunmen trying to kill them walked past the door without suspecting anything. The coast wasn’t clear yet, though. They needed a signal from Cabe to know they were good to leave unnoticed. 

For now, they were still stuck in the closet.

Toby’s breathing quickened in her ear as he struggled to keep his hands to himself. Happy couldn’t scold him and risk being heard. 

It’s not like she didn’t enjoy his touch, though. She definitely did. But for both of them, it was distracting. They needed to keep it under control.

The smell of her hair? Distracting. The warmth in his soft breath? Distracting. And standing less than an inch apart when neither of their lips were on each other?  _ Distracting _ . 

At some point, he put his hands above each of her hips. She cocked her head and repressed a huff. Her jaw clenched. His hands went a little higher. Wrapping her fingers around his, she squeezed. Hard.

_ Knock it off,  _ she silently said. 

He kept teasing her. They couldn’t hear the gunmen, but Happy was still cautious. Toby...not so much. His fingers played with the hem of her shirt. She tried to keep still, though she started to lower her shield. She twitched several times. 

“ _ Toby _ .” She barely managed to stay quiet. She  _ did _ want to kiss him. 

He planted a soft, slow kiss on her ear. She swallowed, and he grinned at her stiffened reaction. 

But then Happy elbowed him in the ribs. He started to whimper, but she turned around and shoved her hand over his mouth. To stay as quiet as possible, she had to press her lips to his ear. “Not yet. When we get outta here, we can be as close as you want. Okay?” 

“Okay,” he groaned. “I’ll wait. But I’m not sure Little Toby can.”


	30. It's My Treat

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is set early in their relationship 
> 
> holy shit we're 30% of the way through this

_ 3 - “No, no, it’s my treat.”  _

 

“Is it five? It  _ is _ five, isn’t it? I can tell. You’ve had five boyfriends just in the time we’ve known each other.”

Happy rolled her eyes. “I  _ said _ it wasn’t up for discussion.” 

“Okay, okay.” Toby held up his hands. “I concede. But I  _ will _ get it out of you at some point.” 

“Yeah right.” She scoffed. 

With the same overly friendly smile that’d been bugging Happy all night, the waiter walked by, dropped the check between them, and walked off to another table. 

Happy and Toby reached for it at the same time. He waved her hand away. “No, no. It’s my treat, Hap. Don’t worry about it.”

“You’ve said that at every dinner so far in this relationship, doc,” she argued. “I’m not letting you say it again.”

He curled his fingers around the check. “It’s okay, Happy. Really.” 

“I’m  _ not _ dead broke, I’m not stupid, and I’m no damsel, Toby. I can handle it.”  

He stared at her, then sighed. He bit his lip. “I want everything to be perfect for you.” 

“I get that. But I’m capable of paying a damn check by myself.” She pulled out her wallet. Her eyes flicked to him as their corners crinkled into a smile. “Why don’t  _ you _ tell me how many girlfriends  _ you _ had before Amy?”


	31. I Bought You a Ticket

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> if you celebrate, Happy Easter!!

_ 69 - “I bought you a ticket.”  _

 

“Okay,” said Toby. “It’s Saturday night. There’s no cases on the radar. What are we thinking?” 

“Movies?” Happy suggested.

“What’s out?”   


“Wasn’t there one you were waiting for last month or something?”

He snapped his fingers. “ _ Black Panther _ . Oh, hell yeah.”  

“Glad you still wanna see it.” She pulled something out of her right pocket. “I bought you a ticket.” 

He blinked. “You did?”

“You couldn’t stop talking about it, so I got you a front row seat. And then I watched the trailer. It looked cool. I got a second ticket. In case you don’t wanna nerd out alone.” She shifted her fingers to reveal a second ticket behind the first.

He grinned. “Of course not.” 


	32. In the Neighborhood

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is set before season one. but I think you can imagine it in season one, if you want.

_ 82 - “I was in the neighborhood.” _

_   
_ __   
Toby had been in the middle of an online poker game. He wouldn’t have dared to get up if his gut hadn’t told him to answer the knock at the door. So, he did. He put his cracked laptop off to the side and pulled his body out of the chair. Only then did he realize how long he’d been sitting there. He must’ve been in that position for hours. The knock came again, more aggressive this time. Knitting his brows, he opened it. 

He blinked. “Happy? What are you doing here?”   


He could tell, right off the bat, she was uncomfortable. But that was only because he was the world’s smartest doctor, and her best friend. Or so he liked to think. Nobody else would’ve been able to see that. “I was in the neighborhood. Having dinner down the street. Usually I only order what I know I’m going to eat, but tonight I overcalculated.” She held up a paper bag. “Thought you’d want some.” 

He didn’t want to mention that she could’ve just brought it back to her apartment and eaten it later. Her first thought was him. Which wasn’t logical at all. Interesting. 

He grinned. “I,” he took the bag from her hands, “would  _ love _ some. C’mon in.” 

And he forgot all about his poker game. 


	33. Drive Safely

_ 28 - “Drive safely.”  _

 

Happy stuffed her car keys in her pocket as she buttoned up her raincoat. After she stepped into the living room, fully dressed in her rain gear, Toby looked her up and down. 

He frowned. “Going somewhere?”   


She pointed at his ribs, bandage wrapped and bruised. “You’re out of painkillers. Gotta run and pick up some more.”

“Wh-are you serious, Hap?” he cried. “It’s raining cats and dogs out there! And sheeps...and cows...and  _ elephants _ .” He waved his hands frantically towards the window. 

Happy rolled her eyes and pulled her hood over her head. “I’m not waiting until the storm lets up. You can’t doze off without those pills. And the doctor said you need sleep.” 

“Doctor  _ smhoctor _ .” 

She quirked an eyebrow. “Don’t move until I get back, okay?”   


“ _ Happy _ !” Toby climbed across the couch, but didn’t get far. He winced. 

“See. Exactly why you need them.”   


He groaned. She walked towards the door. “You’re a terror on the road as it is. Throw in some showers and a sky as black as Cabe’s coffee, and you’ve got a recipe for a crash.”   


“Thanks for the encouragement,” she retorted, “ _ husband _ .” 

Turning the doorknob, she stepped into the hallway. Toby made a noise of protest. “Fine, don’t listen. Just drive safely!” 


	34. Halfway

_ 72 - "I'll meet you halfway." _

 

“I hate it.”

“Just look at it.” 

Happy rolled her eyes, starting to turn away. “Having art in our kid’s nursery is just a waste of money.” 

“The art will be there as our baby grows up. Whatever he or she sees day after day instills creativity and stimulates imagination.” Toby pointed to the framed painting across the store. “Look at that. Baby Quintis as a pirate...no, wait. I take that back. Blinded in one eye with a sharp object...that’s not safe.”

She wrinkled her nose. “I’m not seeing it.”

“Okay,” he replied hurriedly, taking one of her shoulders in each of his hands. “What about giraffes, huh? We could do a whole zoo theme.”   


Her boots scuffed the white floor, resistant and reluctant. “Seriously?”

“If you don’t like that,” he shifted her body in the opposite direction, only for her to be overwhelmed with more shelves and racks full of framed art, “there’s a million other options.”

“...Not so sure about the pretty pink ballerinas.” She pointed. “Besides, we don’t even know the gender yet. We can’t go specific.”

“We’re having a girl,” Toby answered in a sing-song tone.

“We don’t know that,” Happy repeated, using the same voice. 

“Well, how do you feel about cowboys? Cowboys are cool.”   


She huffed. “I don’t want to look at cowboys everytime I go to put our kid to sleep.”

“Okay, fine. How about-”

“How about I meet you halfway?” She raised an eyebrow. “None of this store bought cookie cutter crap. If you really want art in the nursery, why don’t we hang up Toby Dick instead?”

He grinned. “That is  _ not _ halfway. But I’ll take it.” 


	35. I Like Your Laugh

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so this is set sometime after 3x17.
> 
> ugh this makes me want to write an entire Quintis childhood AU

_ 38 - “I like your laugh.” _

 

Today had been adoption day. Happy didn’t make the cut. Again. Ms. Weldy said maybe next time. But Happy didn’t really need a next time. For the first adoption day in her whole life, she could say she wasn’t upset, and she could mean it. 

She’d rather hang out with Toby instead. He was better than all those fake parents. None of them ever made an effort with her like he did. Nobody wanted to be around her because she was too “weird” and “different.” But Toby was weird, too. He was...he was like her. He was funnier and more open, but still, like her. He understood her. And she actually understood him. She’d never understood anyone except him.

Later on, after most of the kids they knew and most of the kids that teased them went home with their new parents, Happy and Toby were busy making themselves laugh in their secret spot. A little while ago, they’d found a storage closet no one even opened. So, they’d built a fort with all the spare boxes, blankets, and other materials they could gather.

As Happy pulled a magazine out of her backpack, Toby made a joke. Despite herself, she started to laugh. She’d never known what her laugh sounded like before she met Toby. She didn’t even know she had one. But here was a shoulder shaking chuckle, making fun of most of the kids that left the orphanage today. He smiled, too. 

When it started to die down, and she got distracted by the tuna sandwich he gave her, his voice changed. It got...more serious. He tilted his head in her peripheral vision, eyes definitely on her. “I like your laugh, Happy. I like... _ when _ you laugh,” he said.

She didn’t really know how to reply. She raised her gaze to him, but lowered it quickly after feeling the heat of his. Her attention focused on the sandwich. Something grew warm in her chest.

A long, long moment of awkward silence ensued. Toby seemed more comfortable with it than she did. She twitched, flipping through the magazine. 

He reached out to her, fingers lightly brushing against the skin of hers. She almost couldn’t feel it. But even the slightest touch from him made her nerves a little crazy. Her body tensed. 

She didn’t say anything. But she did wrap her fingers around his. And she held on tight.

* * *

Happy woke up smiling. She usually didn’t, but when she dreamed about Toby, she was always grinning. A big, stupid grin.

Blinking the grogginess from her eyes, she turned her head towards him. He was still asleep, breathing softly through his nose. She wondered what he was dreaming about. Mostly, she wondered if whatever dream he was having was as good as hers. 

She noticed their entangled arms, fingers wound together in the messy sheets. Huh. She hadn’t fallen asleep like that...maybe he grabbed her hand before dozing off. She inspected the positioning. From the looks of it, she realized it made no sense for him to have been the initiator. She must’ve done it in her sleep. 

Happy smiled to herself. 


	36. Wow

_ 59 - “Wow.”  _

 

Happy fidgeted with her glasses as she walked out of the bathroom. The lab coat came down to her knees. And the skirt? She wanted to rip the stupid thing off. 

Every once in a while, she really hated this job. 

Toby met her outside the door. He looked up from the case file, eyes settling on her. He froze, bottom lip drooping. “Wow. You’re...beautiful.”   


“I hate going undercover,” she muttered. 

“Look, I uh...I know you’re gonna be miserable in that getup,” he put the case file to the side, “but I am  _ so _ turned on.” 

“Really?” She looked down at herself. “This is doing it for you?”   


He nodded. “I think it’s the glasses.”

With a faster pace than usual, he closed the distance between them. He slipped a hand on each of her shoulders, getting a feel for the fresh-out-of-the-package smelling lab coat.  She slipped her arms around his neck. “Then I’ll make sure to  _ accidentally _ leave with it tonight.” 

He lowered his voice. “I guess Doctor Quinn is makin’ a house call.” 

“I’ll bring my rubber gloves.” 


	37. You're Warm

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> if you read the whole thing, this is obviously set early in their relationship, but I'll still say it up here.

_ 70 - “You’re warm.” _

 

The clock hit 12 AM, but Happy and Toby were still oblivious to the outside world. He held her like she’d never been held before, tender and soft. She had been tense at first. But she quickly realized it was the best feeling in the world.

They’d never done this before. They’d never done the “cuddle” thing before. A month into their relationship, and they’d slept together, they’d made out, they’d held hands, but they’d never done this. They’d never watched a movie and moved their bodies as one. She’d never let him. He’d never pushed her limits. Now, he had her pulled to his chest, her head on his shoulder. She was stiff and taut, but she gradually loosened. 

It was calming. It was also fierce, with differing feelings winding their hearts together. Adoration and warmth, hints of awkwardness and unfamiliarity. The latter didn’t last terribly long, though.  

“You’re warm,” he mumbled into her hair. Neither of them had spoken for a while. His voice was raspy in the broken silence. 

She adjusted her head to peer at him. “Is that supposed to be an insult?”   


“What?” He blinked. “No. You’re just...you’re  _ warm _ , Hap.”    


“Are you telling me this as  _ Doctor _ Boyfriend? Do I have a fever?”   


“No, what? No. That’s not what I’m aiming for,” Toby answered, struggling.

“Well, we both know you’re a lousy shot.”

He raised an eyebrow, voice softening. “I’m just saying...I’ve never held you this close before, buttercup. You’re warm, that’s all.” 

“Thank you?” 

“You’re a hundred and ten thousand percent welcome.” 


	38. Try Some

_ 27 - “Try some.” _

 

Happy slid into her usual seat at their kitchen counter. “This baby is starving.” She patted her pregnant stomach. “What’s on the menu, chef?”   


Toby pointed to an array of plates. “Only the best for the best customer. Today, we have a pan-seared salmon,”

“Okay.”   


“-with a side of steamed broccoli-”   


“Wasn’t that served up yesterday?”   


“-and some sweet potato fries.”

“Pretty sure you used the same sweet potatoes from yesterday.”

Toby frowned. “Having so many sweet potatoes in you  _ should _ be making you a little sweeter, sweetness.” 

She wrinkled her nose, giving the food a lookover. “Sorry. I’ve just been eating a lot of the same stuff lately.”

“That’s because,” he started dropping food onto a plate for her, “there’s only so many foods with pregnancy pros. I want to give you all of them.”

“It gets old after a while.”   


“Not when you wear a chef hat as well as I do.” He handed her the plate. “Just try some, Happy.”

Grabbing a fork and knife, she cut a piece off the salmon. She put it in her mouth. Her ready-to-roll eyes ballooned. She quickly allowed her taste buds another bite, the second piece much bigger than the first. “Holy crap.”

He wagged his eyebrows. “Told you I was good.”    



	39. Reminded Me of You

_ 2 - “It reminded me of you.” _

 

Happy threw her wrench aside. She knew she couldn’t focus. She really, really hated to admit it. But she and Toby had a huge blowout fight about an hour ago. It rarely happened. But when it did, it was bad. Their argument had something to do with the baby and risk and danger and her “disregard for keeping the baby safe.” Everything was hazy after he started yelling. 

If needed, she would die protecting their child. She was just getting used to staying out of action, that’s all. She wasn’t being selfish, she was weaning herself off the adrenaline. She needed to adjust to life on the sidelines. 

Toby was so pissed when she took that risk today. He yelled and fumed and even cried a little. But stormed off without letting her get the last word. Since the door slammed, it’d been an hour. At least. Happy tried distracting herself. No success. 

Usually she was the one stomping in the other direction. But now the tables were turned. 

The front door creaked open, ripping her from her thoughts. She jumped up, off her heels. She looked away from the already not broken DVD player. 

Toby was vigorously chewing his lip. He wasn’t wearing his hat. His hair was windblown and tousled. 

Sighing, he tossed the keys on the counter. He breathed out like he had the weight of the world on his shoulders. Happy parted her lips. They stared at each other, eyes set in a deadlock. She could hear his breathing from across the room. And she was sure he could read all the signs in hers. 

“I shouldn’t have put myself in the fire,” she rasped, eyes boring into his gaze. “I didn’t...I wasn’t thinking.” 

“Happy-” He sounded soft, gentle, so far from what he did hours ago.

“You don’t have to worry about it ever happening again.” Her voice cracked. 

She couldn’t hold the distance. Taking steps so big she almost couldn’t manage, she closed the gap. Before she even thought about it, she was moving to him. Her arms snuck around his as she buried herself into his chest. 

He apologized. He apologized again and again. She argued, in hushed whispers. His lips pressed into her hair, pulled back, then sunk in for another kiss. She closed her eyes. 

After he finally got time to breathe, he moved his hands to pull something from his pocket. “I...I saw this. When I was driving. It reminded me of you.” 

She shifted back, one of his palms still against her hip, and both of hers on his back, but far enough to fit another person between them. He held up a small bag of jelly beans, smaller than his hand. 

“You thought of me because of...a bag of sweet, sugary candy?” Happy asked. She cocked an eyebrow. 

“Well,” Toby raised his voice on that word, but kept it normal for the rest, “I thought of you and our baby. And our fight...and everything. I saw these in the window of that candy shop.” He tilted his head forward. “Did you know our baby is this big? Right now, in your stomach, our baby is the size of this bag of jelly beans. And just like this is made of all these different beans, our baby is made of all different parts. Parts of you and me, Happy. And that’s...that’s the most special thing in the whole world.” 


	40. Saved a Piece

_ 9 - “I saved a piece for you.” _

 

Toby collapsed onto the couch with a melodramatic sigh. Paige smiled and rolled her eyes, Walter ignored him, and Ralph made a face somewhere in between both of theirs. Happy’s reaction was similar to Paige’s. 

“Triplets!” Toby declared, throwing a hand over his face. “I helped deliver  _ triplets _ while all of you took a luxury trip to the spa.” 

“Where we were trying to solve a deadly chemical spill,” Walter countered from behind his desk.

Toby sarcastically replied with  _ Oh, Walter, please  _ by scrunching his face. 

Happy walked in front of her husband. She extended her right hand. “They gave us some of their complimentary desserts as a thank you. C’mon.” She grabbed his fingers. “I saved you a piece.” 

Hopping to his feet, Toby grinned and followed his wife. 


	41. Look Both Ways

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a guest on FFN requested this right before we saw it in the show, which I think is hilarious. 
> 
> I love me some badass motorcycle riding Happy:)

_ 25 - “Look both ways.” _

 

“I thought I’d at least go out doing something heroic! Not because my wife ignored a stop sign!”   


“Shhhhh!” 

The wind ripped both of their voices from a scream to a broken whisper. They could barely hear each other on the motorcycle. Happy ignored Toby anyway, clutching onto her torso from behind like his life depended on it, which it did.

She pushed down harder on the gas pedal. He wrapped his arms tighter. They swerved between vehicles. Horns beeped at them. Happy’s response was continuing to weave, while Toby’s was yelping. His fingers shook, wound into the material of her jacket. 

Every time they leaned, which was a lot, he cried out. It was too dangerous for his liking, but just her speed. Literally. 

Happy didn’t mind the stream of angry drivers that somehow popped up on every road they hit. Toby was too scared to let go and wave some sort of apology attempt at them.

“Speed limit!” He yelled. The helmet trapped most of his voice inside. “Fourty! Do you see that?  _ Four _ !  _ Zero _ !”

“Shut up!”   


Another stop sign appeared on the sidewalk to their left.

“Look both ways, Happy!  _ Happy _ ! AhhHHhHhhHH!” 

Happy briefly stopped for this one, but barely. She continued straight ahead without much regard for Toby’s warning. He grabbed onto her with more force. Struggling to breathe, she swatted at his hands. He pulled away only slightly. It was far enough for him to become even more scared, though.

She made a sharp left turn, sharper than his nails digging into her. He buried his face in her hair. 

“I’m a dead man,” he whimpered. 


	42. Did the Dishes

_ 67 - “I did the dishes.”  _

 

“Before we do anything, we’ve gotta finish cleaning up around here.”

Happy rubbed her eyes. “Yeah. I know. All the recent cases haven’t exactly left time for domestic duties.”

“Exactly,” Toby said.

“I did the dishes while you were in the shower, though.” She nodded at the empty sink. “Knocks one thing off the list.”

He smiled. “You’re the best. Now, let’s see what else we gotta do…oh, scrub the toilet…”  


	43. Have Fun

_ 52 - “Have fun.” _

 

“I don’t have the energy for this,” Toby whined. 

Paige patted his shoulder. “Too bad. We haven’t even gotten started yet.”   


“Okay. First, what’s the point of throwing him a bachelor party after he’s a married man?” Happy asked. “And second, what’s the point if he doesn’t even  _ want _ it, which he clearly doesn’t.” 

“ _ Tradition _ ,” Paige replied, voice echoing in the nearly empty garage. “Walt, Cabe, and Sly are out getting your bachelorette party ready right now.”   


“Thanks for the reminder. I was _trying_ to forget," Happy grumbled

Toby groaned. “This is cheating on my wife, Paige! I’m  _ already _ married!” He held up his right hand and pointed vigorously at his ring. “Look!”

“I know. I  _ was _ there.” She lowered her voice, but they both heard her anyway. “I made the damn wedding happen.” They both gave her their own version of a glare, so she raised her voice to a normal level. “But the guys and I agreed. It’s happening.” 

“I’m not committing adultery just to make you feel better about my original lousy party!” Toby exclaimed. 

“Toby, who’s bachelor parties have you been to?” Paige asked.

Toby, face scrunched, brushed it off with a wave. “Don’t ask.”

Happy knitted her brows. “You’ve been to bachelor parties?” 

Paige rolled her eyes, shrugging her jacket on. “Well, calm down. I didn’t get you a  _ woman _ .” 

“Thank God.” Toby widened his eyes and put a hand to his chest. “But you didn’t get me that math dude either, right?”    


“No.” Paige threw Toby’s coat at him. “Now c’mon. We need to move.”

Toby grabbed Happy’s hands. “The way she said that makes me feel like patient about to experience some  _ very _ unprofessional surgery.” 

“Sorry.” Happy grinned, sighing. “But now that I know there’s no stripper involved, you’re on your own.”

Paige smiled. 

Toby paled. “ _ What _ ?”

“I wanna know what the waitress has planned,” Happy answered with a shrug.

“ _ Happy _ -”

“ _ Toby _ ,” Paige called. “You have long legs. Put them to use. We gotta go.”

Happy kissed her husband before he reluctantly pulled away. “Have fun. Don’t get into any trouble.”   


“Gee,” he griped. “Thanks, Hap. Love you too.” 


	44. Go Back to Sleep

_ 41 - “Go back to sleep.” _

 

“Shhhhh,” Happy coaxed. “You can stop screaming now.” She lowered her head closer to her daughter’s, bouncing up and down. Grace was starting to calm at this point, crying, but not wailing anymore. The red in her face was fading to a light pink. Happy brushed some of her loose tears away. “I guess you don’t know what stop means yet, huh?”

Grace looked like she wanted to answer. But she kept crying instead. 

Sighing, Happy readjusted the positioning of her arms. “C’mon, baby girl. Your least favorite parent is still sleeping.” 

More crying. And a little runny snot. 

Happy moved Grace’s line of sight to level with her own. She raised her eyebrows. “So, we gotta nix jokes, too?”

Grace sniffled.

“Hap?” Toby mumbled.

She turned towards the doorway, crying baby still wiggling in her arms. She pulled Grace closer to her chest. “Screaming midget wake you?”

“How’d you guess?” he deadpanned. 

Trying to soothe Grace, she rocked a little slower. “Didn’t mean to bother you. I haven’t gotten her to stop yet. But I will. Go back to sleep.”

He sleepily raised an eyebrow. “Oh, yeah. Totally looks like you will.”

“ _ Shut it _ .”

Toby cautiously flashed his palms. “Sorry. Exhaustion brings out my sarcasm.”

“Everything brings out your sarcasm.”

He shrugged. “Touché.”

“Alright. Seriously, go get some sleep. You need it,” Happy instructed. “I’ll get her to stop.”

Toby sighed. He walked over to her and kissed her forehead. “Honestly, I’m too tired to even argue.” 


	45. Two Sugars

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is set early in their relationship.
> 
> sorry these have all been so short. thanks for still reading them anyway. but I swear tomorrow's is over 800 words.

_ 64 - “It’s two sugars, right?” _ __   
  


Toby came into the bedroom with a steaming mug of coffee as Happy was pushing herself up in the bed. She squinted at him, sunlight heavy on her face, beaming through the window. 

He handed her the mug. “It’s two sugars, right? Two sugars, hold the cream.” 

“Yeah.” Happy took it from his hands to hers. “Thanks, doc.”

“Do you need anything else? I’ll warm up the stove and whip out my chef hat-”

She swallowed a sip. “What I  _ need _ is not to be pampered.”

Toby straightened, pouting. “ _ Breakfast in bed _ is not pampering.” 

She rolled her eyes. “Making someone food while they’re still cozy in bed is the  _ definition _ of pampering.” 

“Actually, the technical definition of pamper is-” 

She hit his arm. He yelped. “Don’t be a smartass. Get back in bed.” 

“No full service boyfriend?”   


“Just sit down. We can  _ both _ get up for breakfast when we’re ready.” 

 


	46. Come Here

_ 4 - “Come here. Let me fix it.” _

 

“ _ Son _ of a-”   


Toby bit his bottom lip. “You okay?” 

Squeezing her eyes, Happy clenched under his fingers. She swallowed. “Fine. Just keep going.”

“Are you sure, sweetheart?” 

“I  _ said _ keep going,” she snapped.

He glanced over her, forehead wrinkled and brow creased. “Okay.” Pulling his hands away, he grabbed the bottle of antiseptic and poured more onto the medical cloth. He put it back on the table. When the cloth touched her skin, she hissed. Guiltily, he hunched his shoulders. But he kept going, rubbing the laceration in her skin. “This is a giant gash, Hap.”   


“Really?” she deadpanned through gritted teeth. “I didn’t notice.”

“I’m just saying,” Toby grumbled, wincing as her hiss sounded more like a whimper. “It’s a big mark for just a knife mishap.” 

Happy scowled. “I’m a bad chef, okay? I get it.”

“That is  _ not _ what I meant.” He moved his hand away from hers. Rolling the cloth into a ball, he tossed it across the room, aiming for the trash can. He missed. “Damn,” he muttered under his breath, although he didn’t get up to correct it. 

He reached into his medical bag on the right and retrieved a roll of tape. He lined it up to her hand, covering the entirety of her wound. Though she was watching him, she’d leaned her head back, away from the blood. She scrunched her nose. 

He grabbed the free edge of the medical tape and tugged it loose. Once he pushed it against her skin, he looped it around her hand for the first time. After that, he continued. Happy looked somewhere else. His eyes rose to her, not needed to properly complete his task. She focused her line of sight on the wall. 

Toby studied her breathing. The way her chest moved, the speed of her nose going in and out, the pulse beating under his fingertips. Of course she was uncomfortable. She hated blood. And she hated getting hurt. She also hated messing up. The fact that she’d been the one to accidentally stab herself while trying to cook made the situation worse. It was all of those added together.

But she wouldn’t talk to him about it. She only wanted to scowl and brood and snap and keep up her angry exterior. 

He knew after he was done, she’d storm off somewhere and take time to cool off. He didn’t really want her to do that, though. He wanted her to talk it out. He wanted to help.

Making a split second decision, he finished the last wrap on her arm too loosely. It looked fine, but to to anyone with experience, it wasn’t a top notch job. Using scissors, he cut a new edge. 

“All done,” he told her. 

She blinked, eyes shifting back to him. She sat up on the couch cushion before he started cleaning up. “Thanks.” She inspected her hand.

He dropped his materials in his bag and stood up, brushing himself off. “Doctor says stay out of the kitchen for a while.”   


“Great advice,” she muttered. 

She headed towards the back room. He sighed.

* * *

About a half an hour later, after she’d been moving her tools around and making quite the ruckus, she came storming back out. Her hair was askew and her face slightly flushed, eyes narrowing in on him. But she looked fairly normal. “Doc, what the hell?”   


He looked up from the cutting board. “What’s a matter?” 

“Your wrapping job.” Happy held out her arm for him to see. “It sucks. Came off while I was in the middle of something.”

Toby put his knife down, which was  _ not _ the one Happy had cut herself with earlier, and moved away from the counter. “Okay. Come here. Lemme fix it.” She stepped to him and he stepped to her, closing their gap quickly. When their hands touched, he guided her towards the couch, where they were before, and crouched down in front of her. 

“Smartest damn doctor in the world and you couldn’t wrap a bandage right?” 

He didn’t give her the satisfaction of a response. Instead, he pulled his medical bag out from the side of the couch he’d shoved it against earlier. 

“How does it feel?” he asked as he began pulling at the faulty bandage. 

“Better.” 

He hadn’t been expecting  _ that _ answer. Actually, he hadn’t expected her to be so cooled off. The tense strain on her muscles was pretty much gone. No scrunched brows or angry eyes. And her emotions weren’t nearly as tense either. She was almost  _ relaxed _ . Almost. He could tell something was still lingering. Her head yelled loud enough for him to hear. 

Toby raised an eyebrow. “Something on your mind?” 

She pursed her lips. Her hand clenched when he unveiled the wound again. But he aligned his eyes with hers, stealing her attention. He softened his expression. Her hand eased. 

Happy looked away, but right back at him when she started to talk. “I’m...sorry. For snapping at you earlier. You were just trying to help and I…”

“You were frustrated and in pain,” he replied gently. “I  _ get _ it, Happy.”

Relieved, she exhaled through her mouth. “Yeah. I guess I was mad at myself for messing up so bad. Usually I’m good with my fingers.” 

Quirking an eyebrow, he smirked. “That’s been proven multiple times just this week alone.” 

Happy grinned. So did Toby, because she was returning to her regular old self. 


	47. Drink This

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am...very upset about the season finale. I'm so happy for Quintis, but with everything else...I'm just really upset

_ 18 - “Here. Drink this. You’ll feel better.”  _

  
“Here. Drink this. You’ll feel better.” Happy handed her husband the medicine cup with pursed lips. “I think.”   


“ _ I think _ is too confident for someone with no medical background,” Toby quipped. He briefly inspected the orange syrup, then gulped it down.    


“You wanna feel better or not?”    


“No, I do. But I can’t with this over-the-counter crap.”   


Happy raised an eyebrow and took the cup back. “Alright. What else can I do?”   


“While you were looking through the medicine cabinet, I jotted down this recipe list for a home-made remedy elixir.” Toby pulled a crumpled piece of paper from underneath his blanket. He held it out for her. 

She read it over. “Gross. You’d willingly ingest this stuff?”   


“I would. Because I know it’ll flush out my system.” He rubbed his runny nose.   


She shifted her neck. “ _ Okay _ . If you say so. I’ll concoct a botched smoothie for your  _ system _ .”   


He smiled. “Best bartender in the world. Sexiest one too.”  


	48. Can I Have This Dance?

_ 14 - “Can I have this dance?” _

 

Happy looked up from the magazine in her lap. “Hey, doc. How’s the cooking going?”   


He didn’t hear her. Instead, he kept humming to the tune of the song currently playing on the speaker through his phone. He swayed with the beat, closing his eyes and dancing while holding the tray of uncooked nachos in his hands. Some of the cheese fell off the sides and scattered along the floor. 

Rolling her eyes, Happy laughed. 

Toby peeped one eye open. “You think this is funny?”    


“You look like an idiot.” 

“Sorry to tell you, babe,” he grinned, “but I’m  _ your _ idiot.” 

“Lucky me,” she deadpanned.

Fully opening his eyelids, he wagged his brows. “Lucky you.”

He looped around the counter, balancing on the balls of his feet like some sort of ballerina. Not a very graceful one, though. He tripped over himself and almost dropped the tray. Before he could fall, Happy jumped off the couch and towards him. She moved faster than he could blink. She caught him underneath his arms. Taking the tray from his hands and sliding it onto the counter, she pulled him up on his feet. 

Their limbs tangled together, arms sinking around each other. Toby mumbled, “My hero.” 

His lips fell in place with hers, sloppy, soft, and careless. Putting her fingers on the back of his neck, she pulled him in closer. His hands slid across each of her hips. 

But they didn’t have the chance to get too comfortable before the song switched in the background to one of Toby’s favorites. He moved his head back only an inch or so, breath still flushing against her nose. He gave a cheeky smile. “Can I have this dance?”   


He didn’t even have to ask.


	49. We'll Figure It Out

_ 36 - “We’ll figure it out.” _

 

Happy stared at the adoption papers on her lap menacingly. Her forehead wrinkled, nose scrunching. She nearly slammed her hands on her workbench. “Toby, where are we gonna come up with the money?”   


“We’ll figure it out, Hap,” he promised, sliding along the top of her workbench to move closer, “We always do.” 

“What if we can’t?” she countered, her expression sharp. “What if that little girl we promised a home finds out we can’t afford to take her? What are we gonna do?”   


He put a hand on her shoulder and squeezed. “ _ Happy _ . You’re stressing yourself out. I promise, it’s gonna be okay.”

“When I was five, I met a couple who I thought were the nicest people in the world. They promised to take me home.” Happy glared at the papers like they’d done her wrong. “Next thing I knew, they turned around and took this little blonde who liked to play with dolls and toys that  _ were _ normal for a girl my age.”  

Toby bit his lip. He rubbed his hand down her arm. When that didn’t do enough, and her face broke his heart, he leaned forward to kiss the side of her head. “We will  _ never _ let that happen, okay? Not in a million years.”

She reached her fingers up to silently squeeze his hand as a thank you, but she didn’t look at him. She stared at the black and white picture of the orphan they’d recently visited instead. “You don’t know that.”

“Yes I do. Did you hear your own story? That’s the proof right there. You won’t give up. You won’t let what happened to you happen to someone else. And I won’t either.” 


	50. Sweet Dreams

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks for all the love and support this fic has gotten so far. I appreciate it beyond words. I can't believe I made it to 50. but here's to 50 more.

_ 81 - “Sweet dreams.” _

 

Toby walked into the bedroom after his shower, vigorously shaking his hair with his fingers. He whispered, “Hap?” in the darkness, only to be met with silence. He moved his hands to his sides, wet with water drops, to examine the quiet. There was only soft breathing. Happy’s. She must’ve fallen asleep while he was showering. Made sense. She had a long day in the field while he got to hang back in the garage. 

He walked across the room, keeping his hands in front of him. He didn’t want to turn on the lights and risk waking her up. But he barely managed to make it to the dresser. He fumbled around for the right drawer handle. The first pair of boxers his fingers touched were the winners. He removed his towel, draped it over the chair to his left, and slipped on the boxers. 

Before putting his head on his pillow, he gave his hair one last shake. He deemed it dry enough.

Toby gently lifted up the comforter, moving into bed beside Happy. Leaning towards her, he was careful not to disturb her. But he softly pressed a kiss to the crown of her head, knowing where it was without even having to look. He knew how she slept and how she positioned herself every night. She liked routine.

“Sweet dreams, Hap.”


	51. I'll Do it For You

_ 48 - “I’ll do it for you.” _

  
Happy plopped down onto the couch, careful of her swollen stomach. She had to grab the couch’s arm to sit successfully, but she managed.    


Settling in, she propped her feet up on the table. It was uncomfortable, though. With a grunt, she took them off. Toby watched her warily from a few feet away, pretending to be distracted in his book. Happy ignored him.    


She tried stretching her legs horizontally across the couch. But she couldn’t lift them. Her pregnant stomach was too big. Jaw clenching, she dangled her feet off the couch. They  didn’t reach the floor. She pulled the blanket over her lap. Accommodating her stomach bump, it didn’t go as far as she wanted. She threw it to the ground.    


In her peripheral vision, Toby raised his eyebrows.    


She shrunk down in the pillows with crossed arms. Not a second later, though, she sat up. But she groaned and descended again. She patted the pillows aggressively, adjusting them to her desired position.   


Once she finally stopped moving, Happy huffed through her nostrils. She reached for her phone, only to realize it was across the room, sitting on the kitchen counter. “Damn it!”    


Toby put his book down and shuffled closer. “What? What’s wrong?”   


“I forgot my phone,” she grumbled. “I need to order some parts to keep working on the baby’s car seat.”   


“I’ll do it for you.” 

“It’s easier if you just gimme my phone.”

“Let me take care of this for you, Hap.”    


Happy narrowed her eyes. She didn’t feel like arguing. She huffed. “You’ll get the right ones?”   


“Well, how hard can it be?” Toby shrugged. “I know how to online shop.”   


“Yeah, I know. We still have all the sexy costumes you _ accidentally _ ,” she air quoted with her fingers, “ordered last month.”   


“I can do this for real, though. Let me help.”   


She pressed her lips together. “Yeah, Okay. I don’t want to do this,” she gestured towards the couch, “all over again. But if I say get me a pack of six inch screws and you get a three, I will  _ hit _ you with the floppy car seat.”

“Deal.” 


	52. We Can Share

_ 74 - “We can share.”  _

 

“Your kid booted on me.” Happy sat down onto the couch. “Again.” 

“Kids boot,” Toby reminded her. 

She wrinkled her nose. “She must’ve gotten that from you.”   


“One, Happy, it’s normal for babies.” He squeezed her shoulder as she wrapped their hands together “And two, it’s not something you inherit genetically.” 

“Okay. She’s a hurler, however it happened,” she replied. She gestured at her shirt. “Third time I had to change. And throw my blanket in the wash. I didn’t even have time to shake it off. She got me before I move it out of the way.”    


“Here.” He moved his own blanket towards her. “We can share. Gracie’s asleep, right?”   


“Yeah. We won’t need to get up for a while.” She snuggled in. “Thanks.” 


	53. Good Luck

_ 95 - “Good luck.” _

_   
_ _   
_ Happy was tense and agitated. She didn’t clamp her fingers around the bomb in her hands, careful not to jostle it, but she did hold it far enough away from her body to bounce her knee without moving it. She needed to let the stress out  _ somehow _ . Her jaw clenched, muttering, “ __ C’mon , Toby.” 

She continued scanning the facility. No success. No surprise. 

The alarms blared, beeping like no one with ears was listening. But Happy drowned them out surprisingly easily. Her focus was Toby. Anything else wasn’t hard to ignore.

She kept looking, scrutinizing every inch of the area. But it wasn’t that big. And it was almost entirely empty. Plus, the facility only had two doorways. If he was there, she would’ve seen him. Still, she kept looking.

When she turned her head to the left, he sprinted from the opposite direction in her peripheral vision. She jerked towards him, though careful of the bomb.

He ran up, out of breath and panting. “I’m here,” he breathed. He leaned over and put his hands on his knees. “I’m here.”

Happy furrowed her brows. “You’re bleeding.”   


“What?” Toby frowned, straightening. “Where?”   


She pointed as his forehead. “Right there. What happened?”   


He raised his fingers. Wiping at his skin, he pulled away and examined the blood with a quick glimpse. “Must’ve happened when that guy clobbered me and knocked my com out.  But we don’t have time for that now.”

“Toby, it doesn’t look good.” 

“No, injuries never really do, Hap.” He wiped the blood on his pants and held out his hands. “Let me take that. Walter needs it.”

She hesitated, looking between his outstretched grip and his forehead. “Maybe it’d be better if I do it.”

“No.  _ Happy _ . You have to go do some rewiring in the control room. And there’s not enough time for you to run down to one end of this facility and back. That’s why I’m taking it.” 

Lowering his chin, he raised his eyebrows, asking her if she  _ really _ wanted to protest. She pursed her lips, wasting precious time they didn’t have. But she recognized that. 

So, she reluctantly bit her lip and handed him the bomb. Although, she her fingers on his. “Good luck. Don’t blow yourself up. Stay safe.”

“I’ll try.” 


	54. I'll Help You

_ 65 - “I’ll help you study.”  _

 

“I should be getting this,” Happy groaned. “Why the hell am I not getting this?”   


Toby put a hand over hers. “Because you’re anxious, Hap. You’re stressed about passing this test.”

“CPR is easy,” she replied, gesturing towards her instructional booklet. “I know it. What I  _ don’t _ know is why I can’t remember the answers to any of these questions.” 

He squeezed her fingers. “It’s the night before the test. And you’re worried about more than just getting a certificate. You’re worried because of the only reason you’re doing it in the first place.” 

“Just in case anything happens to our kid. Yeah, I know. I know.” She sighed. “I guess I’m just more focused on that than the actual material.”

“I have a solution.” He nodded at her booklet. “I’ll help you study. And for every question you get right, I’ll take off an article of clothing. Cause if that isn’t motivation, I don’t know  _ what _ is.” 


	55. I Bought Two

_ 34 - “That’s okay, I bought two.” _

 

Toby finished licking his lips right when Happy walked in the room. “Hey, doc, I just-” She stopped at the expression on his face, “What are you eating?” 

“A piece of chocolate cake that proves heaven exists?” he squeaked, words partially muffled as he swallowed. 

Happy glared. But it didn’t hold up long. She broke into a smile almost immediately. “Damn. I’m always right.” 

“What?” He wiped his icing covered mouth with the back of his hand. 

She pointed at the empty box. “The cake. I knew you couldn’t resist. I got it because I saw it and couldn’t resist. But I didn’t think you’d scarf it down when I went to the bathroom.”

His eyes widened into saucers. “Crap. I’m  _ so _ sorry, Hap.”

“It’s okay,” she replied, walking to the fridge on his left, “I’m actually not mad. I bought two.” 

He straightened. “You did?”   


“Yeah. You’re just not allowed to have any.” 


	56. Looks Good

_ 32 - “It looks good on you.”  _

 

Happy shook her wet hair with her fingers as she walked out of the bathroom. Toby looked up at her from his laptop. “Uh...Hap? Is that my hoodie?” 

“Oh yeah,” she shrugged, peering down, “first thing I grabbed before showering.”

He grinned. “You don’t have to make excuses.” 

“To excuse myself of  _ what _ ?”   


“You just wanted to wear my hoodie!”

She frowned. “Says who?”

“Says the world’s smartest physiatrist.” He hopped up and walked over to her, pulling her body into his. “It looks good on you. Better than it ever did on me.” 


	57. Is This Okay?

_42 - “Is this okay?”_

 

Happy walked into the bedroom with a tall glass of water in her hands. Condensation frosted the sides. She reached across the bed and handed it to Toby. After he took it, she hopped into her spot on his left. 

“Keep yourself hydrated,” she instructed after he put the glass off to the nightstand. “You had a long day in the sun.” 

“Thirst is nothing compared to this bad boy,” Toby quipped. He pointed to his concussed head drowsily. 

“This bad boy,” she gestured down at him, “needs to be careful. No more heroics for a couple days, okay?”

“Does taking the trash out qualify as _heroic_?” 

Happy rolled her eyes. She slouched down and pulled whatever covers were over him over her. Under them, against the bedsheets, their warm bare thighs brushed. Her head tucked into his shoulder, but she immediately moved back, eyebrows knitting. He wrinkled his forehead inquisitively. “Wait,” she said. “Is this okay? Are you okay?”

He laughed at the simplicity of her concern. And smiled at it being there at all. “Yeah, Hap. I’m okay.”

She frowned, unconvinced. “Are you sure?” 

“My _head’s_ banged up, not my shoulder.”

Her throat rumbled with a muttered, “Still.” 

He wrapped his arm around her and waved the concern off, making sure she could feel it on her bicep. “I wouldn’t give up the chance to snuggle with you, lovebug, if my whole body was bruised.”

“That’s what worries me.” 

Toby gave her a smile. A loose, loving, flattered smile, stretching from cheek to cheek. “I’m good. I promise.” 


	58. See You Later

_88 - “I’ll see you later.”_

Toby was about to leave. He was about to leave from something he might never escape. Sure, the team faced death on a near daily basis. But this was different. This was more risky than usual. This was the most insane of the insane. And Scorpion _knew_ insane.

Happy had her hands wrapped around his and she wasn’t letting go. She wasn’t breaking eye contact or faltering for even a second. There was an intensity to her face, a desperate, scared intensity that rattled Toby’s core. She rarely ever looked like this. But here it was, tense, scrunched, and clutching his fingers until they went white. But he didn’t care about that. If he could stay, and he wasn’t needed elsewhere, he would let her squeeze his brains out to make herself feel better.

That just wasn’t the case. 

“Happy…” Toby swallowed hard, “just in case I don’t make it out of this…”

“No, doc,” her voice broke, but her eye contact didn’t, “ _Toby_. You’re gonna make it. Okay?” She left no room for debate, no room for jokes, no room for an alternative. 

“But just in case-“

He barely got any words out before her lips provided an interruption. Slipping her palm around the nape of his neck, she pushed their faces together. He whimpered a slightly startled noise, but he got over it quick. He kissed her back in every way he knew how to say _I love you_ , letting her lungs steal his air and her mouth dominate his. It wasn’t passionately fierce. It was passionate in a different way. Not a fresh fire, singeing everything it touched, but one that’d been burning for a long time, crackling and continuing to thrive. 

Happy pulled pack to rasp, ”I’ll see you later.”

“Happy-”

She glanced at her watch, frantic, then back up at him. Her eyes bled raw fear, making his his entire rib cage clench. “Come back to me,” a begged, whispered instruction with more force behind it than a tractor trailer. Each beat of his heart was slowed by a needle pricking the most vulnerable parts.

He nodded and swallowed, fully determined to grant her demand. “I will, baby.”


	59. Take My Jacket

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote this forever ago but I needed a lot of time after watching the finale to post it solely because Paige is in it. yes, I'm THAT petty.

_ 12 - “Take my jacket. It’s cold outside.” _

 

Happy buckled the last strap in her daughter’s stroller. When she stood up, she brushed her hair off her shoulder. She glanced to the left. “Ready to go, Paige?”

Paige pulled her hair out from underneath her jacket collar. “Where’s your coat? You’re gonna freeze.”

“Don’t have one.”

Toby, on cue, came out of nowhere, shaking his jacket at his wife. “Happy, here. Take my jacket.” He stepped in front of her. “It’s cold outside.” 

Happy cocked her head. “Look. Your overbearingness actually came in handy.” 

“Hey, I think it’s sweet,” said Paige.

“I think,” Toby started, helping put his jacket on Happy, despite her protests, “it’ll prevent you from getting a cold, slowing your milk production and not feeding our daughter sufficiently.” 

Paige sighed. “That’s more than I needed to hear.”

“Oh, I could go in depth about my wife’s milk, Paige. About the breast and the nip-”

Happy wrinkled her nose. “ _ I _ don’t wanna hear about that.” 

“Happy, let’s get out of here before he starts,” Paige stated.

“Good idea, waitress.”

“Stay warm!” Toby called after them as they headed for the door. 

“Now that I have this jacket,” Happy replied, pushing Grace’s stroller, “I’m as toasty as I need to be.”

  
  



	60. You Can Do It

_ 94 - “You can do it.” _

 

“Push, Happy!”

She screamed, sweat flying everywhere. The red in her face darkened, which seemed impossible, considering how red it was  _ already _ . “This...baby…” she grunted, “won’t...come...out.” 

Paige bounded into the room, grabbing the corner of the wall for support. “I got the doctor. She’s on her way.”   


Toby shifted his head away from his wife only briefly. He gripped the railing on the side of the hospital bed. “ _ I’m _ the doctor!” 

“The doctor who’s licensed in this hospital,” Paige replied, panting. “And, who’s not the father of the baby!”

“Shut up!” Happy cried, hissing and seething. She was panting already. Sweat rained down both sides of her face, glistening on her skin. Toby and Paige simultaneously whipped towards her. “Whoever’s helping me...just...get this damn baby  _ out _ !” 

Toby peeked at the lower end of her body. His face wrinkled and he vaulted upwards again. He extended a hand and cupped it to the side of her face. “Push, baby. You gotta push.”

“I don’t…” she breathed, eyes scrunching. “Toby…”

“Just push, Happy!” Paige instructed.

But Happy wasn’t paying attention to Paige. She was watching Toby, who was watching her in return. 

His smile melted into one of sympathy. He dropped his hand to her shoulder and squeezed. “You can do it, Happy. If there’s anybody who can, it’s  _ you _ .” 


	61. I'll Still Be Here

_ 79 - “I’ll still be here when you’re ready.”  _

 

“I can’t believe I’m this tired.” Happy flopped down on the bed. “I hate it.”   


“Just think, at the end of this, that big bump in your stomach that’s makin’ you miserable is gonna pop out a baby.”

“Mmmm.” She rested her head against the pillow behind her. 

“Can I make you a cup of tea or somethin’?” he asked, running a hand over her arm. 

“No. I’ll be lights out in a few on my own.” She yawned. “I did want to watch that movie with you, though.”

He kissed her forehead. “It’s okay. I’d rather not have a Cranky Happy around. I’ll still be here when you’re rested and ready.”

  
  



	62. When You Get Home

_ 49 - “Call me when you get home.” _

 

An hour had elapsed since the team trudged through the garage, exhausted and battered. Toby, having been the only person to stay back, practically jumped out of his shoes, abandoning the game he’d been playing on his phone during their flight home. He pulled Happy into his arms before she could take a breath. She grumbled, but didn’t complain, and gratefully drowned in his embrace. When he finally looked at the rest of them, inhaling a fresh breath of air, he declared that he needed to check everyone for the disease they’d inadvertently helped prevent today across the globe. A chorus of fatigued protest followed. But the team reluctantly agreed.

Now, after Toby had gone through Happy, Cabe, and Sly, he was onto Paige. But he continued to peep at his wife, who’d been examined first, no surprise to anyone, closing her eyes every few seconds, then reopening them. Leaning into the corner of the red couch, she rested her forehead in her right palm. She kept drifting off and startling awake, only to repeat the process again and again.

Toby smiled and rolled his eyes at her. “Happy,” he called. 

She jerked her head at the sound of his voice, straightening. “W-what?”

He took the thermometer out of Paige’s ear, checked the number, nodded, and put it back in his med bag. “Go home, sweetheart.”

She blinked. “Why? Are you done?”   


“ _ No _ .” Toby glanced at Paige. “I need a pulse point.” Tugging her sleeve up her forearm, she exposed her wrist. She held it out. Toby pressed his fingers to her skin and turned his attention back to Happy. “I’m not done. I still need to get Walter O’Stubborn-Jackass to swallow his pride and come down here for an examination by yours truly.” 

“Oh.”

He waited a few seconds, counting under his breath. He pulled away from Paige. “You, my love, are tired. Pooped. Exhausted. On the verge of collapse. Hitch a ride with Cabe and go to bed.”

“No.” She rubbed at her eyes. “I’m waiting for you.”

“I,” he pointed to his chest, “still have ways to go.”   


“So I’ll wait.”   


“No you won’t.” He reached into his med bag and softened. “Please go home, Hap.”

“Toby-”

“I got to run mission control here without my life being in danger like the rest of you. You had a long day. You have every right to go home and crash.”

Happy frowned, running her gaze over him, up and down. He sighed, looking to Paige. “Gimme a minute.” 

“Not like I can leave until I know I’m sure I don’t have a deadly disease, anyway.”   
Toby hopped to his feet and crossed the little space between him and his wife. She pushed herself upwards, though she didn’t stand. He dropped to his knees in front of her, leveling their gazes. He picked up her hand and kissed her knuckles. “Please. You don’t have to wait for me. I still have too much stuff to take care of before I can cuddle up with you. But you’re clearly about to emulate Sleeping Beauty.”

She pursed her lips. He gave her a pouty face, which made her groan. “ _ Fine _ . I’ll go find Cabe.”

With a satisfied smile, Toby gently curled his hand around the back of her neck. He pulled her close enough to kiss her forehead. “ _ Thank you _ . Go to sleep. Oh, and call me when you get home. Okay?”   


She nodded. “Okay.”


	63. You Can Go First

_ 46 - “You can go first.” _

 

“I can’t freaking believe,” said Happy, peeling off her jacket as they walked through their apartment door, “we trudged through the dirt, nearly died of thirst in the desert, and baked like potatoes under the sun and we didn’t even get  _ paid _ .” 

“How was Walt supposed to know that guy was a scam?”    


She raised an eyebrow at her husband. “Maybe cause you told him. Repeatedly. We all did.”   


The corner of Toby’s lip quirked. “Clearly, 197’s not as perceptive as me, darlin’.” 

“Clearly.”   


Happy wrung her hair out over the sink. Wet dirt tumbled down the drain. Toby joined her to do the same with his hat. “I feel like a sponge,” he muttered.

Her eyes flicked over. “You want the shower?”

“Nah. You can go first.” 

She raised an eyebrow. “Sure? I think you’re dirtier than I am.”

“No  _ duh _ , Hap.  _ I’m _ the one who suggested  _ doing it _ on the-“

“Not  _ that _ kind of dirty, dummy.” She flicked his upper arm. 

He grinned and blew a kiss at her. “But you’re not so clean yourself, Mrs. Curtis.”

“ _ Not _ what we were talking about. But fair.”

Toby ran a hand through his hair. “Go shower.”

A glint shimmered in her eyes. “Come with me, and I’ll show you how dirty I am.” 

  
  



	64. Take My Seat

_ 8 - “Take my seat.” _

 

Happy lumbered back into the hospital room, keeping a cautious hand on her swollen stomach. 

Paige had dropped a duffel bag of necessities for Walter onto Happy’s chair when Happy ran, or barely made it, to the bathroom. With Sly and Ralph asleep in the other seats and Toby sitting next to the stuff pile, there wasn’t anywhere left to sit. After Paige came back from helping Walt and his useless broken arms brush his teeth, they would squish together on the hospital bed. That left heavily pregnant Happy to stand. Or sit on the unsanitary floor. 

Toby jumped to his feet he second she walked in. “Here. Take my seat, Hap.”

She waved him off, examining the options. “I’m not in the mood to have this fight again, doc.”

“Happy-“

She removed her hand and pointed at herself. “Pregnant.” She gestured at Cabe across the room, peering at his leg propped up in his wheelchair. “Crippled!”

His head shot up. “Hey!”

“He may be old, but his ears still work,” Toby muttered.

“I heard  _ that _ , too!” 

Happy frowned at her husband. “It’s fine. I’ll stand.”

“That’s not the best-“

“Let her go,” Cabe interrupted. “If you two keep bickering, you’ll wake up the snoring bozos over there.”

Happy and Toby glanced at Sly as he snorted and shifted in his sleep. 

Toby sighed and raised his hands in surrender. He sat back down. 

Happy positioned herself against the wall closest to him. She crossed her arms, resting them on the top of her stomach. Her head tipped backwards. 

Cabe returned to inspecting his bandaged leg. 

Toby gnawed on the inside of his lip like it was his only source of entertainment. And it was.

Happy silently counted off thirty seconds. A minute. A minute and a half. Two minutes. Three minutes. Her legs went numb somewhere around then.

She repressed a groan and held her mouth. Toby shot a concerned glance her way. So did Cabe. She didn’t say anything, avoiding eye contact. But the baby started to protest in her stomach. She winced. 

“Okay,” she relented. “Fine. I’ll take your seat.” 


	65. It's Okay

_ 16 - “It’s okay. I couldn’t sleep anyway.” _

 

Happy finished counting the number of rotations of her front motorcycle wheel after driving for a mile in her head. A second time. She restrained an external groan, though, unwilling to disturb her sleeping husband.

She pulled the bedsheets up higher. On her right, Toby let loose an abrupt snore. It sounded like a snort. He mumbled something incoherent and turned the other way.

She’d already run through most of the mind games she used to play when she couldn’t fall asleep as a kid. And the ones from adulthood. Just not the ones Toby taught her yet. Like the game where she named an item commonly found in a grocery store that started with every letter of the alphabet. 

But Happy wasn’t deserapte enough to start counting sheep or anything. 

Yet.

Her eyes rolled over the the nightstand, squinting at the brightly light numbers on the clock. Damn. It was already past two in the morning. 

Walter would be pissed if she passed out on the job tomorrow just because she couldn't fall asleep. But honestly, she’d be more at herself. It was getting ridiculous. She didn’t consume an unusually high amount of caffeine or take a giant nap or do anything else that would make her body want to stay awake and stare at the damn ceiling all night.  

The day had been normal. 

_ Normal _ . 

Maybe being more normal than she used to brought  _ normal _ problems along with it.

Happy sighed.

Toby stirred awake. He moaned softly, rotating his head back towards her. His arms stretched out on both sides and he yawned overdramatically, like he always did. He blinked. 

The hair on his arm itched her nose, his wrist brushing against her face. 

Happy gently pushed it away.

“Wha-” he sat up and looked at her. “Oh. Happy. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you.”

“It’s okay. I couldn’t sleep anyway.”

Even though she couldn’t see it in the darkness, she knew he frowned. “Why not?” His voice was laced with grogginess. It didn’t shed until halfway between his second sentence. “You okay?”   


“Yeah, I’m fine. I just can’t fall asleep.” She shrugged under the covers. But it didn’t work well, so she pushed herself up on her palms to try again. 

“Anything I can do?”   


“Not really.” Happy cocked her head. “Why’d you wake up?”   


“Full bladder. But when I get back from the little doctor’s room, I’m not going anywhere else until you fall asleep.” 

  
  



	66. Both of Us

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've posted something that's incredibly similar to this in Mighty Love Oak but *shrug* oops.

_ 57 - “There is enough room for the both of us.”  _

 

Happy padded into the bathroom, the chill of the cold tile seeping through her socks. “Hey,” she said, leaning against the doorway. “How’s the relaxing coming?”

“Blissful,” Toby answered. He peeked one of his eyes open, head leaned against the edge of the bathtub. “But It’d be even better if you were in here.”

“If I come in there, it’d kill the peaceful mood.” 

“I wouldn’t mind that so much.” He grinned. “There  _ is _ enough room for the both of us, Hap.”

She drummed her fingers against her thigh, adjusting her wrist to check her watch. “Paige  _ did _ say she isn’t bringing Grace back for another hour.” 

He blew some bubbles at her. “There is  _ more _ than enough room for what we’re both thinking.” 

“I know. We  _ have _ tested that theory before.” 

“I think we need another experiment.” 

  
  



	67. I Believe in You

_ 93 - “I believe in you.” _   
  
“That’s five!” Toby exclaimed. “Five times today  _ alone _ I screwed up the case!”    


Happy narrowed her eyes. “We all screw up all the time, doc. It’s not a big deal.”   


“It  _ is _ a big deal.” His face flushed. “My mis-analyses put the case at risk-put  _ you _ at risk.” He lowered his gaze to the scuffed floor. “That’s a big deal.”    


“We’re always at risk. It’s part of the job.”   


He flicked the air with a wave, pushing her comment away. “This is different. I’m not on my game today. I’m not even on the  _ field _ today.”   


“Toby, it’s-“   


“No, no. It’s not  _ fine _ , Hap. I just...I suck, okay? I do.”   


She bit her lip and watched his body deflate. “Is this about Walter’s jackass comment earlier?”   


He didn’t look at her.    


“Toby,” she repeated more sternly, “is this about Walter’s jackass comment earlier?”   


He sighed, parting his mouth to answer. But he closed it not a second later.    


“Don’t make me ask again.”   


Toby frowned. His forehead scrunched like skin that’d been water for too long. Instead of water, though, he’d been soaking in an ocean of self-depreciation. “Yeah. He’s right, Happy. He said I don’t contribute, I usually just make things worse. And he’s right.”   


“Hey.” Happy moved across the room in a single, determined step. She pulled his right hand into hers and wrapped their fingers tight. “You shouldn’t give a crap what he says when he’s in a pissy mood like he was this morning. He got himself all worked up because you were right about something and he wasn’t.”   


“While I appreciate the diagnosis, baby, what he proceeded to say about me was still right.”   


She squeezed their hands. Their rings kissed the other’s skin. “No. It wasn’t. You’re not some screw up. You’re my husband, okay? My  _ genius _ husband who doesn’t suck as much as he thinks he does.”   


“You’re too good to me.”   


“ _ Toby _ . I believe in you. I, your wife, believe you’re not worthless. Because you’re not. You can never be worthless.”    


And she kissed him to show exactly how strongly she meant every word of what she said.


	68. Do You Want to Come?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is set before the team knows about their relationship.

_ 78 - “Do you want to come too?” _ __  
  


“I’m picking up lunch from Kovelsky’s. Any requests?” Toby called around the garage. 

Paige raised her hand, waving it at him from her desk chair. “Chocolate shake.”

“My usual,” Cabe replied. He pressed his lips together and placed his coffee mug on the center table. “Actually, make it a double. I skipped breakfast.”

“So that’s two early bird specials?” Toby quipped.

Cabe huffed through his nostrils. “Shut it.”

Grinning, Toby gestured at the remaining team members. “Happy? Walt? Sly?” 

“Fermented fish,” Walter said without looking up from his tablet. 

“If they’re out of pancakes,” Sly started, “I don’t want anything.”

Toby glanced at his watch. “They turn off the machine at 12. So I’ve got fifteen minutes to get over there.” He raised his head and shifted his eyes toward the opposite end of the garage. “Oh, hey, Happy. You wanna come too? If you drive, there’s no way we won’t get there in time.” 

She rolled her eyes. “Yeah. Also cause I don’t want you messing up my order again.”

For everyone else in the room, it was a perfectly valid excuse. Nothing worth a second thought. But Happy and Toby subtly peered at their team to ensure they were in the clear. Nobody really cared. They looked anyway. 

They shared a fleeting second of silence, eyes smiling at each other from across the space. Happy broke it before anyone could catch on, though.

She stuffed her hand in her jacket pocket and jingled her keys. “But I’m driving.  _ My _ truck. Not your dinky ride.” 

“Deal.” 

  
  



	69. Take Mine

_ 73 - “Take mine.”  _

 

With thirty minutes of air in their oxygen tanks, Happy and Toby dove into the frigid ocean, cold and com-less. At twenty five minutes, they reached the bottom. At ten minutes, they accomplished the mission with time to spare. But on the way back up to the surface, Toby’s oxygen tank got caught on a piece of coral they hadn’t seen in the dark. 

They didn’t have any way to talk to the team. And even if they did, they’d need to remove their masks, which would lead to death. Waiting down there until everyone on the boat noticed they missed the check-in time? Also death. Their tanks would run out. And Happy leaving to get help also signed Toby’s death certificate. 

If anyone else had been stuck in the same situation, they would’ve died. But Happy and Toby could talk without actually opening their mouths.

After wasting a minute struggling to wiggle free, Toby froze. Happy forced her flashlight at him to see his mask-covered face in the dark water. He did the same. 

Her eyes flickered towards his tank.  _ Take mine _ . 

He looked at her, pained and struggling. _No way in hell_ , his expression said. He jerked his body again. Unsurprisingly, it was unsuccessful. 

Happy wrapped both hands around him and tugged. Hard. But the tank was wedged in the coral and if she pulled too hard it’d break off. Then he’d  _ really _ have no air. 

Toby checked the time on his watch, tilting his head towards her. She gave a final tug. But the force propelled her back. 

After regaining herself, she swam closer. He reached out to her, hand coming towards her shoulder. She brushed it off.

She kept pulling and he kept trying to make her stop. They were both determined to stay on their respective tasks. And all the while, the clock continued ticking down.

Then Happy’s face expanded, eyes widening. She pointed above, pointed at her mask’s mouthpiece, to him, back at herself, and then made a stop motion with her hands. She repeated the pattern several times and added a few more gestures in to make it more clear. 

Toby finally seemed to get it. Miraculously. Probably shouldn’t have been possible. He looked at her warily, though, glancing between her oxygen tank and down at himself. But he didn’t have much of a choice, and he trusted her wholeheartedly. So he abandoned his tank. She removed her mouthpiece and gave it to him. He inhaled deeply. Happy counted to three on her fingers before they moved. They traveled upwards, but only slightly, only accomplishing part of the trip back to the surface. They had to stop and each take another big breath. Then they went up again.

And they repeated the process until they were both safe and breathing real air.

  
  



	70. You're Important Too

_ 86 - “You’re important too.” _

 

Toby had been sitting on his side of the bed, flipping through a book with his legs stretched out and feet crossed over each other, when Happy stormed into the room. Her hair bounced fiercely off her shoulders. She lit the air she touched on fire. 

He looked over and raised a playful eyebrow. “Can I help you?”   


She didn’t answer him. Directly. 

In a single step, she cupped his cheeks in her hands and smashed her face against his. He mumbled something surprised and incoherent, but didn’t resist. She threw a leg across his lap. His book had become wedged between them, so he carelessly tossed it to the left. Hands now free, he slipped one on each of her hips. She shifted closer, slipping her fingers around the back of his neck and dipping his head to press harder to hers. Their noses brushed, but they ignored it, adjusting their positioning to avoid the annoyance again. 

Toby pulled away only far enough for a piece of paper to fit between their lips. His eyelids drooped. “I thought you were at the garage,” he breathed. “Working on that important project…”

One of her hands ran along his scruff. “You’re important too. And I uh...got frustrated. Needed a break.”   


“Happy Quinn,” he pouted, making her bit her lip, “are perhaps you using me to make yourself feel useful?” 

“And also cause you’re my husband.”

“I’m...okay with that.”

And she kissed him, like a match striking a pile of wood. His fingers slithered under the hem of her shirt. She hooked her teeth onto his bottom lip, itching for it after watching him pout. An indistinguishable groan hummed somewhere in his throat. She sucked on his lip just to hear it again.

She straddled him higher, putting her heels against the bed and pushing her body up. Her hips pressed to the sides of his stomach. He tilted his head, hands grabbing desperately at her back. They kissed the fire of her skin with an eternal desire to burn. 

She kissed him harder, faster, marking the territory as her own. But he broke their lip contact, traveling down her neck with his mouth. His scruff tickled her skin. And she groaned.

Knotting her fingers in his hair, she tugged his head back up to her lips. She pushed him into the headboard. He shrugged off her shirt, then fumbled for the button of her jeans, and from there, the rest of their clothes came off. 

  
  



	71. I Noticed

_ 89 - “I noticed.”  _

 

Happy drummed her fingers on her thigh, skin against the denim over and over again. There wasn’t a specific tune to it, but Toby quickly found himself tapping his foot to the same rhythm. Her other hand, the one not making anxious music, was wrapped tightly around his. Their eyes focused on certificates and framed pictures around the room, skipping like rocks across the surface of water. Every now and then, he squeezed reassuringly. And every time she gripped his hand a little tighter. 

An unspoken comfort passed between them in each breath of silence.  _ I’m here. I’m right here. _

After working for so long, going through the rigorous process of trying to adopt, they finally reached their endpoint. They’d endured paperwork and interviews, bank meetings and background checks, all for this moment. The moment a little girl would walk through the the door behind them and change everything for the future in front of them.

The seats were hard and uncomfortable. The orphanage clearly didn’t have the money to upgrade. But Happy and Toby weren’t even focused on their chairs. Their attention kept drifting around the small office like a floating bottle in the sea, but their reason for being there kept them anchored down, grounded.

But their nerves were just another rough wave in the current. Every second they found themselves distracted, they’d get slammed head on. There was no breathing room. 

Happy angled her head at her husband. It seemed like only a part of her hundredth scan around the space, but it wasn’t. Her gaze intensified. Not hard, just fierce. When it became clear her focus had settled on him for more than a fleeting glance, he shifted his eyes to meet hers.

She looked down, then back up as the words poured out. “I don’t know about you,” she started hesitantly, “but I’m kind of freaking out.”

“I noticed.”

Happy swallowed and licked her lips. “What if the kid hates us?”

“What if she doesn’t?” Toby countered gently. 

“But what if she does?”

“ _ Happy _ .” He tapped his wedding band against her ring. It clicked softly. A perfect harmony. “We’ve discussed this, sweetheart. You have no reason to believe the little girl we’re gonna take home will hate your guts.”

“I don’t have reason to believe she won’t.”

“If there’s gonna be a least favorite parent, it’s  _ me _ . Not you.”

Happy frowned. “Don’t even go there, doc.”

“C’mon,” he protested. “We both know the poor parent genes are mine. ‘Sides, I haven’t tested negative for Bad Dad Syndrome. Meaning, you’ve got no way to prove me wrong.” 

“You  _ also _ haven’t tested positive There’s no evidence to back that up.” She shook her head. “After all we’ve been through, you can’t still think you’re gonna be a sucky parent.”

He leaned back in his chair. “Then why do you?”

She blinked. “What?”

“Why do you know I’m gonna be a sucky parent but you’re not? Your logic makes zero sense, Hap.” 

She furrowed her brows. “Oh. Hold on. Are you using some reverse shrink trick on me?”

“To show you exactly why you shouldn’t doubt your mothering skills? Yes, that’s precisely what I’m doing. Because I know how amazing you’ll be. And if you can see something in  _ me _ then you should see everything in  _ yourself _ .” 


	72. Sorry I'm Late

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is at the beginning of their relationship. sorry it's so short.

_ 13 - “Sorry I’m late.”  _

 

Toby burst into Happy’s apartment, out of breath and panting. 

Leaned over a magazine on the kitchen counter, she looked up to raise an eyebrow. 

“Sorry I’m late,” he said. 

She clicked her phone on to check the time. “Yeah. Twenty minutes, doc.”

“I know, I know. Paige wouldn’t stop talking and Walter was right there so I couldn’t just say I was late for a hot date with my coworker girlfriend.”

Happy gave him a flirty smile. He looked it over, then, relieved at her surprising lack of anger, leaned a hand into the counter. “I brought food.”

“The food can wait. You need to make this up to me.”   


Toby raised an eyebrow. “I’m assuming my apology includes being naked.”

She nodded. “Take your pants off.” 


	73. Anything

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> for two and a half years, this show has been my everything. it gave me a home and hope when I needed it most. it gave me a refuge from my depression. it gave me the best hour of my week. it gave me inspiration and safety and a second family. it gave me the best love story I've ever had to privilege of seeing. it gave me my first internet friends. it gave me the passion for writing fanfiction and for writing itself. it gave me all the wonderful actors who I'll continue to love forever. and it gave me Happy Quinn, my heart and soul, who I've idolized since I met her. I love her dearly. I love her with my whole heart. I love her more than any fictional character. I'm so thankful for her.
> 
> yesterday I was angry, but today I'm thankful for being apart of the cyclone and I'm thankful for this beautiful show. I'm thankful for every single review, favorite, follow, and read on every story I've ever posted. thank you to the cyclone for being the best fandom I've ever been apart of. the show may be over, but we still have each other. the show is over, but the story is not.
> 
> I have more drive than ever to finish this story. I promise I won't give up. I'm holding on pretty tight. I have a one-shot in progress, too. I don't want to give up writing Quintis just yet. so don't worry.
> 
> I know this one is really short, but considering yesterday's news, I felt that it was the most appropriate of the pieces I've been waiting to post.
> 
> and if you need to talk your feelings out, I'm happy to listen.

_ 90 - “You can tell me anything.” _

 

After the phone call ended, Happy almost cried. If Toby had been home instead of running errands, she would’ve collapsed into his arms like the dirty ground under her feet broke away to a sheet of slippery gold. Her heart raced in her chest, pulsing, beating, pounding. She smiled, lips stretching up to the sky. She ran her hands through her hair, breathing heavily. 

The news ran through her hair over and over again. Every time hearing it felt like the first. 

In the span of five minutes, everything in her life became different. Everything. Her childhood dream turned into a reality.

When Toby came home, he thought she was on the verge of fainting. He dropped the shopping bags without looking back and jumped to her. His arms pulled her to his chest. “Hey, baby, what’s going on?”    


“I…” she caught her breath, “Toby...I have to tell you something.”

“Yeah, anything, Hap. You can tell me anything.”   


She squeezed his hands. “I just got off the phone...with the adoption agency.”

He raised his eyebrows in anticipation. “And?”   


“They picked a baby for us. It’s a girl.” She smiled. “Toby, we’re getting a daughter.” 


	74. I Made This For You

_ 40 - “I made this for you.” _

 

Admittedly, Happy was pretty excited. She’d been working on this project for Toby since last month. And she couldn’t wait to give it to him.

She could’ve asked Sly to do it, or even Walter if needed, but she wanted to. Toby knew something was up the whole time. She didn’t care. She wanted to do this for him anyway. 

When the day finally came, she got nervous. She started wondering if he would actually like it. Or use it. Or  _ want _ it. And she hated how stressed out it made her. Over a present? A present for Father’s Day? Seriously?

_ Yeah _ . Seriously. Seriously stressful. 

But she decided against listening to any of her concerns. Because it was the thought that counted? ...Right? Or something.

Happy groaned out loud. 

Toby walked into the couch, stretching his arms over his head. The hem of his shirt exposed his waistline. She bit her lip.

He rubbed tiredly at his eyes and yawned. “Morning, Hap.” He pressed a kiss to her shoulder before turning for the coffee pot.

Happy cleared her throat and faced him. “Happy Father’s Day.”

“Holy hell.” He paused. “Slipped my mind. Totally forgot until just now. Thanks, babe.” 

She stiffened but pressed on. “I made this for you,” she said as he rotated towards her. She pulled the small present out of her pocket. 

“Happy,” Toby smiled, “you didn’t have to get me anything.” 

“I  _ didn’t _ get you anything. I made it. You’re a sucker for that kinda stuff anyway.”

He grinned and ran his thumb over it gently. “A baby monitor?”

“Personalized baby monitor,” Happy corrected. Her gaze lingered on his hands. “I pieced together different sentences of you talking that I recently recorded. And thanks to my handiwork, they sound pretty genuine. Whenever someone else is watching the baby or you’re not home or whatever, it’ll talk to her. There’s different sayings for her different moods.” 

When Happy saw the look on his face, saw the way his eyes lit up and his mouth curled into a delicate smile, she knew she shouldn’t have worried for a single second. 

“Happy...this is the best Father’s Day ever.” 


	75. I'm Sorry

_ 26 - “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to.”  _

_   
_ __   
He hated fighting with her. He hated when she was angry with him and he hated the look she got in her eyes. It broke his heart.

Finances were difficult. Bills were real. And they were really frustrating. 

Usually they were on the same page about these things. If not, they were always able to work it out. Today, neither of them had had the patience for that.

As soon as she stormed out of the apartment, Toby regretted every word he said. He regretted letting the stress of the day’s case regulate his temper. She endured everything he did. And she didn’t deserve it. 

Maybe he didn’t deserve it either. But he felt too guilty to even consider it now. 

Toby swallowed down the lingering, almost nonexistent itch to take a drive to the nearest casino.

He’d made a list of all the places she might’ve went. Most likely, though, she stepped on the gas in her truck and just kept driving.

As long as she was safe.

Toby trudged out of the bedroom with the weight of his guilt slowing every step.

His eyes found her already standing there, body still but eyes dancing to a song he knew better than everyone. His shoulders sank like someone was intentionally trying to down them. The tension in his heart squeezed, stifling his breathing. “How long have you-”

“I’m sorry,” her voice broke, like sunlight trying to find its way through the shade of darkness. “I didn’t...I didn’t mean to. I just…”

“Oh, baby.” He pulled her into his arms in the blink of an eye. “I know, baby. I know. Me too. I’m so sorry.” 

“I don’t wanna fight with you,” she said into his chest. “I think I’m just…I’m just stressed. Just...the case and coming home to the unpaid bills and…”

“It’s okay,” he coaxed, lips pressed to her hair. “It’s all gonna be okay.” 


	76. You Can Have Half

_ 11 - “You can have half.” _

 

After popping the bagel slices into the toaster, Toby rubbed his hands together in anxious anticipation. He leaned forward to peer at the toasting process. 

Happy rolled her eyes from the kitchen counter. “You’re ridiculous.”

“I’m  _ excited _ .” He didn’t look at her. 

“It’s just a bagel.”   


“It’s the amazingly delicious garlic bagel that the grocery store has been out of every damn time we’ve gone for the past month.”

Toby knew she took a bite of her egg bagel because it audibly crunched. She swallowed before talking, though. “Surprised they haven’t kicked out the physco who keeps showing up at ten o’clock at night muttering about bagels.”

He frowned. “I get very upset when I don’t have my late night snack.”   


“Yeah. I  _ know _ .” 

Toby’s response to his wife was the ding of the toaster. “Oh!” he chirped. “It’s heaven calling.” 

He didn’t bother finding the tongs to pull the slices out. He grabbed the top of each and tossed them onto his paper plate, yelping and cursing.

“Doc, what the hell is wrong with you?” Genuine concern replaced her playful teasing.

He shoved his hands under the faucet, running cool water for a whole five seconds. His fingers glared with a raw, angry pink. “A lot of things, Hap.” He snatched the butter knife and swiped a large wad of cream cheese from the container. Pressing the face of the blade to the crispy bagels, he spread it across. Happy watched, eyebrows raised. 

He finished quicker than humanly possible. “Ah.” He raised the plate up in front of him for Happy to see. “A masterpiece.”

Toby moved to his left to join her across the counter. But when he took his first step, he tripped. The plate shot out of his hands and landed face down on the floor, pressing the cream-cheesed bagel to the hardwood. 

His eyes widened. “NO!”

Happy laughed. “Oh  _ shit _ .” 

“Damn it!”

Toby reached for the pieces. He removed the plate from the scene of the crime and peeled the bagel slices off the floor. Most of the cream cheese had been whipped off. He sighed like someone at a funeral that broke their heart to be at. “Five second rule?” he said meekly. 

“Not if you wanna get kissed again for the next week.”

He whimpered. “ _ Ugh _ .” 

She laughed again. Not condescendingly but sypmathecially. “Want some of mine? You can have half?”

“It’s not the same,” he mumbled.

“But it’s something.”   


He sighed again, shoulders sagging. “Okay. Fine.” 


	77. I'm Sorry for Your Loss

_ 10 - “I’m sorry for your loss.” _

 

Toby watched Happy as she made her way back to him from across the graveyard. He examined her physical signs, reading her mood and reading her thoughts. She walked around the bay of the truck and swung herself into the driver’s seat. 

But when she got in, she didn’t drive. 

Toby raised his eyebrows. “So?”   


Happy frowned, staring intently at the steering wheel. “I didn’t talk to her or anything, if that’s what you’re wondering.” 

“I wasn’t expecting you to.” 

Slowly, very slowly, she exhaled through her nostrils. “Would’ve been too weird. It’s not like she would’ve heard me.”

Toby shrugged gently. “But it’s something, Hap.”

“I...I’ve had things I’ve wanted to say to my mom since I was a kid. But I couldn’t say them to a gravestone.” 

“You should say them to someone. Or something, at least. Even the lamp. He’ll light right up.” He grinned. She didn’t, but the corner of her lip twitched. “Just to get it out.”

“Ever since my dad told me where my mom was buried, I had to go see her.”   


“For closure?”   


“I guess,” Happy answered. “Now, I just don’t feel like I have anything to say to her. Not sure why.”   


“Closure,” Toby confirmed. 

Happy gave him a grateful look, grateful for waiting while she visited the gravesite alone, grateful for being so patient with her, and grateful for understanding. Toby could read all of that in her eyes before she turned back to the steering wheel. 

He watched her again with the eyes of a genius doctor. Her fingers pressed to her palms, fingertips digging into her skin. 

“Hey,” he said softly, his voice nudging her attention towards him. “Did I ever tell you I’m sorry for your loss?” 

“No.”   


“Well, Happy,” he reached across the center console and wrapped his hand around hers, “I’m sorry for your loss.”   


“Thanks.” He squeezed and she squeezed back. “Me too.” 


	78. I'll Get It

_ 53 - “Sit down, I’ll get it.” _

 

Just when Happy settled into the couch, her baby sleeping in her arms, her cell phone started to ring. Because of the baby, she was forced to repress her groan. She slid forward on the leather cushion before Toby jumped at her. “Sit down, Hap. I’ll get it.”

One glance at the baby prevented her from protesting. She gave a brief nod. “Should be on my workbench,” Happy whispered. She kept her tone soft and low.    
He crossed the garage in a matter of seconds. He rifled through her tools. She shushed him violently, then immediately regretted the decision and pulled her daughter in closer. Toby frowned at her. But he moved his elbow the wrong way, knocking a wrench to the floor, and suddenly she was the one frowning at him. Their daughter broke into a stream of familiar wails. 

“ _ Son _ of a-”

“Language!” Toby chastised. 

Happy huffed. “Find the damn thing already, would you?”

“ _ Language _ !” 

“Find it!” 

Her phone was still ringing. Between angry baby cries and a blaring ringtone, they could barely hear each other. Toby continued searching as Happy tried the most effective soothing methods. She rocked her arms back and forth, swaying in her seat. But she lost her patience quick, and when it didn’t work, she hopped to her feet. 

Her eyes narrowed on her husband. “ _ Toby _ !” 

“I’m trying!” 

He dropped onto his stomach and threw his arms under her workbench, thrashing them around wildly. He groaned. 

The baby cried louder. Happy hurled her shoe at Toby. Yelping, he stood back up. “I  _ don’t _ think it’s over here, Hap.” 

“It should be. I didn’t bring it anywhere except my workbench and...Sly’s office. Oh shi-”   


“ _ Language _ , Happy!” 

On cue, Sly called out to them. “Uh, guys?”


	79. I'll Pick You Up

_ 97 - “I’ll pick you up at the airport.” _ __   
  


Happy missed Toby. She  _ really _ missed Toby. 

She’d been in charge of their daughter by herself the past four days after Toby got a call about his mom being sick, and, despite practically hating her, she  _ was _ his  _ mother _ , and he flew back home to take care of her. 

Happy wanted to go with, she wanted to be there for him, but the last thing their  _ baby _ needed was a trip across the country to a germ-infested hospital. And they weren’t ready to leave her, even with Paige, for more than a couple hours. 

So, Happy stayed back. 

But they were far from out of touch. Toby called her almost every hour. She needed to hear his voice more than she thought she would. And apparently, he needed to hear hers. 

On the fifth day, she woke up to the phone ringing. Somehow, a damn  _ genius _ kept forgetting about something called time zones. Happy mumbled a groggy, “Hello?”   


“I’m coming home,” Toby told her. There wasn’t any playful greeting this time. He cut right to the chase.

She sat up in bed. “What about your mom? Is she-”   


“She’s better. Hospital is releasing her this afternoon.”   


Happy could read Toby better than anyone. It’s not like she could read much of anybody, but still. She could read him. And right now, he was practically an open book. Tired, probably from late nights of little sleep after arguing with doctors all day, stressed, the reason for which being obvious, and relieved, because he was coming home. That made her all the more excited to have him back. 

“When does your flight land?” 

Now she ripped the covers off and fumbled for a pair of pants. 

“Four thirty. I’ll be back for dinner,” Toby answered. 

“Great. I’ll meet you at the airport.” 

“How’s my little girl?”    


“She misses you. But I won’t bring her in the car to pick you up. She’ll freak. I’ll drop her off with Paige.”   


“Good idea.” 

“Okay,” Happy replied. “I’ll see you when you land. Love you.”   


“I love you too.” 


	80. I'll Walk You Home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is set before their relationship is revealed to the team

_ 5 - “I’ll walk you home.” _

 

When the team realized they had crossed from pm to am, they decided to call it quits. They’d been working nonstop for hours, except for Paige, who’d gone to bed, but they couldn’t save the village without any sleep. According to the chief. They wanted to keep working but he said it wasn’t effective for his people. And they were in no position to argue. 

“I’ll walk you home,” Toby offered Happy as she buttoned up her jacket. 

To the surprise of the others, she didn’t argue. 

They left the lab building and stepped onto the dirt road, into the dark. 

Weak lamps flickered overhead, barely providing enough light as they walked past. 

“I wish I could invite you back to my place,” Toby said when they were more than far enough away from the others. “But Walter’s room is right next door.” 

“At least we’ll be out of here in a few days,” Happy noted. 

“If everything goes according to plan, which it never does.” 

Happy stopped walking. She looked around, surveying the area, despite the dark. No one was in sight. Cabe, Sly, and Walt must not have left the lab building yet. 

The coast was clear. Happy turned back to Toby, putting herself on her toes. She pressed her lips to his. He smiled against her mouth. 

Unfortunately, though, it didn’t last long. Just in case.

Happy pulled away first. She tilted her head back, still close enough to feel his breath on her skin.   


Toby grinned at her like the lovesick idiot he was, eyes half open and voice a little dazed. “Goodnight, Hap.”

“Night, doc.” 


	81. I Want You to Have This

_ 76 - “I want you to have this.” _

 

Happy sat like stone when Toby walked through her apartment. Her face was angled at her computer in her lap, cold and focused. She didn’t look up. But her voice cracked like a split down the stone. “You’re late.”

Toby leaned into the door, pushing it closed with his heel. After moving it into place made an audible click, he sighed. “I’m sorry.”   


“What back alley poker room were you at this time?” 

“Happy-”   


“Nevermind,” she snapped. “I don’t really want to know. Just keep the bruises to yourself. Don’t care how you got them.” 

“I wasn’t gambling.” 

She scoffed. “And on top of that, you’re lying now, too. Damn, Toby, aren’t you just the world’s best boyfriend?”

“I would never lie to you, Happy Quinn.” 

“Then why the hell are you so  _ late _ ? You were supposed to be here two hours ago. When I called, you didn’t pick up your damn phone.” 

Toby crossed the room with a frown braided in strands of regret and guilt. He sat next to her, but on the opposite end of the couch, leaving as much space between them as possible. His head dangled. “I almost did, Hap.” He ran his hands over his face. She scowled. “I almost did. But then I thought about how disappointed you’d be and I...I couldn’t. I didn’t want to see the look you’re giving me now.” 

Happy huffed. “Then where were you?”   


“I was just driving around. I was thinking about you. I was being selfish because I didn’t think I could confront you. I  _ am _ selfish.” Toby shook his head and sat up. He pulled something out of his jacket pocket. “Here. I want you to have this.”

Happy grabbed it warily. “A lottery ticket?”   


“I never even scratched it off. I bought it this morning...but I didn’t do it.” His voice broke. “You, Happy, are my prize. You’re my gold at the end of a rainbow and you’re the jackpot.  _ You _ are everything I need and everything I’ve ever wanted. And you’re the only thing that matters.”


	82. Can I Kiss You?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is set in their early relationship

_ 37 - “Can I kiss you?” _ _   
_ _   
_ “And  __ that is how I got a bald spot on my chest.” 

“Well, that’s five minutes of my life I’ll never get back.” 

But Happy was smiling. She rolled her eyes at him, but she kept on smiling. 

In a matter of seconds, they reached the end of the hallway. Happy turned around when she stepped in front of her door. She pressed her head back, fingers grabbing the knob behind her. 

Toby leaned close. His breath brushed her face. His eyes dropped to her lips, narrowing in. She noticed. And she grinned. 

He looked back up. His eyelids started to droop. She raised a brow.

“Can I kiss you?”   


Happy jingled the key in her pocket. “Why don’t you come inside instead?”


	83. Cross My Heart

_ 63 - “Cross my heart and hope to die.” _

 

“We’re never going to get a kid.”

“Happy-”   


As she slipped into the driver’s seat, she slammed the door of her truck behind her. “Face the facts, Toby.”

He bit his lip and reached over from the passenger's side to grab her hands. They slipped into his like pieces of a puzzle. She laced their fingers together, but she didn’t look up. “Like the fact that we  _ will _ adopt a baby?” he said.

“That’s not a fact.” Happy clenched her jaw, staring intently at the building across the parking lot. “That’s a theory based on your gut intuition. Which is wrong.” 

“ _ Sweetheart _ , just because things haven’t worked in our favor so far doesn’t mean they won’t. It’s  _ going _ to happen.” 

“You don’t know that.”

Toby squeezed her hand. His fingers brushed coaxingly along her skin. “Hey. Look at me.”

Reluctantly, Happy forced her gaze to meet his. 

He took his free hand and smoothed the hair on the left side of her face. His thumb met her cheek. “I would never lie to you, Happy. And right now, I  _ swear _ I’m telling you the truth. You could hook me up to a damn polygraph. I’m telling you, we’re  _ going to get our family _ .” 

Happy passed a pulse, a fast and unsteady but slowing pulse, between their fingers. The shields in her eyes broke like shattered glass. Her voice faltered. “I want this so bad.”

“I know.” He stroked her hair. “Me too. And we’re gonna get it, Hap. Just promise me you won’t give up, okay?”

She sighed, a breath like a huff coming from a stuttering air conditioner. “Yeah,” she managed. “I will. If you promise that you’re right. You promise that kid is gonna be ours and the system won’t keep screwing us over.”

“I’m always right. I can promise you that much.” 

She frowned. “Toby. I’m  _ serious _ .” 

He leaned forward, gently tipping her head towards him. And he kissed her forehead. He kissed her temples, her nose, her cheeks, her jaw, her eyelids, and her lips. He kissed a promise for the soft grasp of her skin to grab and hold onto forever. A promise that went deeper than the surface and strengthened her veins. “Cross my heart and hope to die.” 


	84. After You

_ 35 - “After you.” _

 

Toby bolted out of the van behind Happy. With his longer legs, he stepped inside the garage first. He darted across the floor, Happy on his tail. When he reached the bathroom door, he fell forward against it, out of breath. The panting did no favors to his screaming bladder. 

Happy whimpered. He turned around to see the look on her face, which made him instantly guilty. “Damn it,” she swore. 

He licked his lips. She crossed her arms and raised her eyes to him. After he didn’t move, just stared back at her, she scowled. “What the hell are you waiting for? An invitation? You won the footrace. You get to pee first.” 

And, even though he had to pee so badly he thought his bladder was about to explode, he said, “No, no, it’s okay. After you, Hap.”

She quirked a brow. “You were complaining how bad you had to go for the entire two hour drive.” 

“That’s just because I was sticking it to Cabe for not stopping.” Toby gestured with his eyes to the bathroom. “Go. I’m a big boy. I can hold it.” 

“You sure?”   


“One thousand percent.” 

Happy hesitated. But not for long. She’d reached her breaking point a half an hour ago. “Okay. Thanks.” When she stepped past him, she put a hand on his shoulder, pushed her weight onto it, and rose to kiss his cheek. Then she hopped inside the bathroom and slammed the door. 

Toby smiled, the feeling of her mouth tingling his scruff. 

But he wiped it off when the rest of the team trudged into sight. The door to the garage creaked as they drug their luggage through.

Cabe dropped his duffel bag onto the red couch. His gaze caught on Toby, prompting him to scoff. “So much for that bursting bladder you wouldn’t shut up about,” he remarked. The others looked over. 

“I thought you guys were racing for the bathroom,” Paige said. 

Toby shrugged. “Happy won. Fair and square.”

Cabe furrowed his brows. “You’re a man. If you gotta go so bad, just go outside. No big deal.” 

“That is unbelievably unsanitary,” Sly griped.

“Not to mention gross,” added Paige.

“He doesn’t have to  _ wipe _ anything!” Cabe protested.    


Walter scrunched his forehead. “Please, Toby. We have a facility for a reason.” 

Toby bit his lip. Peeing in the bushes outside  _ might _ have ruined his romantic gesture to Happy...but then his bladder screamed and he had no choice. His feet booked it before asking his head for permission. 

Cabe chuckled while Sylvester cringed. “Told ya,” Cabe said.


	85. Be Careful

_ 99 - “Be careful.”  _

 

“I’ll do it, Walt,” Toby volunteered.

Happy looked ready to tackle him. “What the hell, Toby? It’s too dangerous. You can’t.”

“Walter’s plan is good,” Sly spoke up, “but the odds aren’t. Toby, Happy’s right.”

“We don’t have any other options,” Toby protested.

“Then we’ll figure one out,” Happy countered. She narrowed her eyes and grabbed his hand. 

Licking his lips, he frowned down at her. “We don’t have  _ the time _ .” 

“Toby-”   


“It’s okay, Hap.” 

“I agree with Toby,” Walter said.

Happy grunted. “Nobody asked for your input, O’Brien.”   


“We gotta get a move on, team.” Cabe interrupted. 

Toby kissed Happy’s cheek and squeezed her hands. “I’m going.”

“Toby-”

“I’ll see you on the other side.”

She frowned and squeezed back. “Just be careful.” 

“Always.”


	86. Don't Worry About Me

_ 31 - “Don’t worry about me.” _

 

Happy slowed the truck as she pulled up to a red light. Still feeling Toby’s eyes on her, even after being on the road for almost twenty minutes, she frowned. At first, it seemed like his normal pervert self, but now there was something more to it.

She snuck a quirked brow at him. “What?”   


“What  _ what _ ?” 

“You know what.” 

“I know  _ what _ about  _ what _ ?” 

Happy rolled her eyes. “The staring. What’s it for?”

“You look like you’ve got something on your mind.”   


“I’m a  _ genius _ .” The light changed to green, prompting her to push down on the gas. “My mind is never blank.”

Toby clutched his seat to keep from flying forward. “You know what I mean.” 

She flicked on her turn signal and made a right. The tires screeched. “I’m fine. Just exhausted, I guess. More than usual. Maybe that’s what seems off?”

He raised an eyebrow in her peripheral vision. “Or you’re anxious about seeing Paige after your spat yesterday?”

“The one we  _ resolved _ ?” 

Toby gave her a look only Dr. Curtis could give. “Tension’s still there, sweetheart.”

She shrugged it off. “Maybe. But it’s not a big deal. We argue all the time. It’s just a little awkward. But I can handle it.” Her voice softened and she briefly broke her gaze away from the road. “Don’t worry about me, doc.”

“I always worry about you, Hap.” 


	87. What Do You Want to Do?

_ 29 - “Well, what do you want to do?” _

 

“Okay,” Happy said. “We’re not needed at the garage. Night’s wide open. Suggestions?”   


“Naked pillow fight.” Toby grinned at her.

She quirked the corner of her lip. “Not exactly what I had in mind.” 

“Naked food fight?” 

“How about no?”

He puckered his lips. “It’s sexy, Hap. C’mon. After we’re done, we could lick everything off each other.” 

She grabbed an empty plastic water bottle off the counter and threw it at him. Of course, with her perfect aim, it bounced off his forehead. 

He frowned, plucking the bottle off the floor. He stood up from the couch, stretched, and walked over to her with an overdramatic pout. “Was that for being a perv?”    


“Damn right it was.”

Toby slid into one of the counter seats, putting the bottle in the first place he saw. Across the countertop, she leaned forward on her palms. He entwined his hands and rested them out in front of him. 

“I guess I take back what I said about the naked food fight. We don’t have much in the fridge other than eggs, milk, cream cheese, and I think raw chicken. Don’t know about you, but I’m not so sure if I wanna smell like I just stepped off the ol’ family farm.” 

A smile glinted in her eyes. “Well, then what  _ do _ you wanna do?” 

“Cuddle up and watch home improvement shows?” Toby raised his eyebrows. “Fully clothed.” 

Happy visibly grinned. “I’m in.” 


	88. Thinking About You

_ 75 - “I was just thinking about you.” _

 

Happy crawled into the bed, tucking her legs under the covers. She dropped her phone on the nightstand and pushed some stray hair out of her face with a sigh.  

Toby grinned at her, putting his book down. “Hey, baby. I was just thinking about you.”

“...Aren’t you always thinking about me?” 

With a chuckle, he leaned forward and kissed her. “Point taken.” 

“ _ Not _ creepy at all,” she deadpanned. 

“I’m just completely and utterly in love with and  _ maybe _ a little obsessed with you.” 

Happy scoffed. “Now you’re making it worse.” 

“Come on,” Toby pressed an elbow into the mattress, leaning closer, “you’re not completely obsessed with the world’s sexiest doctor?”   


“In love with?” She wiggled her ring finger. The diamond on her wedding band glistened against the ceiling light. “Duh. But obsessed with?”

“Absolutely.”

“ _ Not _ .” She raised an eyebrow. He laughed and planted a kiss on her cheek, prompting her to roll her eyes but smile. “Not only are you the world’s sexiest doctor, but the weirdest, too.”

“I’m going to take that as a compliment, world’s sexiest engineer.” 


	89. You Don't Have to Say Anything

_ 58 - “You don’t have to say anything.” _

 

“Doc?”   


“I’m here, baby.”

Happy sighed sharply in relief. Rocks shifted in the small cave around her and she coughed in dust. “Good. You’re the only thing keeping me from breaking this damn rock wall myself.” 

“It’s not a rockwall, it’s just avalanche debris,” he said through the comm. “And I’m glad to hear it. I won’t get off until Walt and the others safely get you out of that cave.” 

“Never thought your voice would be the thing to stop me from going insane. Always imagined it’d be the other way around.” 

“Very funny.” Ralph talked in the background from Toby’s side of the link. “How are you doing?”

“I’ve been better.” 

“ _ Happy _ ,” he chastised. “Tell the doctor your getting-caught-in-a-cave-after-an-avalanche symptoms.” 

“I took in a lot of dust and debris,” she admitted. 

“Are you struggling to breathe? Do your lungs feel congested?”

“No, doc, I think I’m okay. Until I get out of here, at least.” Happy sighed. She ran a hand along the rocks, brushing the texture of the stone. She coughed. But she felt better, knowing his voice was right there. “You don’t have to say anything, Toby. Just...stay on the line. Don’t go anywhere.” 

“I’m right here.” 


	90. You Can Borrow Mine

_ 20 - “You can borrow mine.”  _

 

“Damn it!” Happy rifled through her pockets. “I can’t find my phone.” Keys, zippers, and loose change jingled. People from other tables all across the restaurant looked over. 

She, oddly enough, didn’t seem to notice.

Toby glared back at the staring patrons. When his eyes fell onto his wife, he grabbed one of her frantic hands. “Hey. It’s okay, Hap. Don’t freak out. You probably left it in the car.” 

She remained tense, even under his soft hands. “I need it.”

“You can borrow mine.” She sighed, relieved. “Only if you’re not gonna call Paige.”

“Oh, c’mon. What the  _ hell _ , Toby?” The pitch of her voice increased, reeling in curious gazes again. 

Toby raised a brow. “It’s our first night out since we became parents. You are  _ not _ calling home. You are  _ sitting _ here and  _ not _ freaking out. You need this, Happy.”   


“I  _ need _ my phone. I need to call home. Just to check, Toby. What if it’s too much time and she can’t handle it?” 

“Paige isn’t brand-new to mothering. She can handle it,” he said. 

“I meant the  _ baby _ .” 

“Oh.” He squeezed her hand. “She’ll be fine. She’s a tough cookie, just like her momma.”

“I don’t like leaving her,” Happy grumbled. “Even with Paige.”

“It’s just  _ dinner _ . Nothing will happen.”

“We always say nothing will happen and you know what usually happens? We almost die. Every time.” 

“But we  _ never _ do.  _ Nothing will happen _ , Happy,” he replied. “Paige knows how to handle a baby. Besides, at some point, she needs to experience what it’s like without us. And we’ll be back before you know it.” 

With a sigh, Happy nodded. “Fine.”

“Just enjoy dinner with your husband.” 


	91. It Doesn't Bother Me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry this is so short, but it's getting really hard to write these.
> 
> this is set in their early relationship

_ 85 - “It doesn’t bother me.”  _

 

Happy crawled under the sheets in Toby’s bed. He sat on the other side, biting his lip and watching her nervously.

“Is the air in here warm enough? Or is it too cold?” 

“It’s fine, doc.”

“Do you have enough blankets?”   


“Yeah.”

“Am I taking up too much space?” 

“No, you’re good.”

“Should I turn off the bathroom light?”   


“ _ Toby _ . It doesn’t bother me. None of it does.”

“Are you sure?

Happy rolled her eyes at him. “Stop freaking out.”

He sighed. “Okay. Okay. I’m sorry. I just want your first night with me to be…”

“Whatever you’re thinking, it’ll probably be better.” 


	92. No Reason

_ 71 - “No reason.” _

 

“Team,” Cabe announced, “this is Dr. Roman.”

The blonde woman on his right nodded. “Thank you all for coming on such short notice.” 

Quickly, she stepped forward to shake everyone’s hand. She smiled politely at each Scorpion employee, but when Toby reached her, she grinned and hugged him. “Toby! It’s so good to see you.”

Happy raised an eyebrow. “You two...know each other?”   


Toby pulled back. Dr. Roman seemed slightly more reluctant to. She stood close. “We went to med school together.”

Toby nodded. “Way back in the day.”

“We actually used to date.”

Happy clenched her jaw. She shot Toby a look and he met it with a guilty frown. “Oh. That would’ve been nice to know  _ before _ taking this case.” 

The woman did the exact  _ opposite _ of what Happy wanted. Instead of shriveling away from the daggers on Happy’s face, she put her hand back on Toby’s arm. His eyes widened.

Sylvester coughed and announced an abrupt urge to use the closest restroom. The others followed his lead, moving towards the building across the street, though Paige kept a wary eye in their direction.

Toby stepped away from Dr. Roman. She swiftly repositioned herself against him, closer this time. 

Happy arched an eyebrow.

Clearing his throat, Toby slipped out of Dr. Roman’s hand again. 

“Hey, did I introduce you to my wife?” He reached out to Happy.

Dr. Roman turned a shade lighter. “Your  _ wife _ ?” 

“Yep. The beautiful love of my life.”

Happy watched her eyes flick between them. She swallowed and took Toby’s hand. “Shouldn’t we be getting this show on the road? We don’t need to waste time on small talk.” 

Dr. Roman forced a nod. “Good point...Mrs. Curtis.”

“Go talk to Walt. See how soon we can get this thing started.” 

She walked to the others without question, but peered at Toby almost longingly.

Toby wrapped his grin around Happy’s heart, making the smiling feeling somewhat infectious. 

“Why’d you do that?” he asked.

“Do  _ what _ ?”

“Send her away.”

“No reason,” Happy said. “Just want to get this case started.” 

“Aw,” Toby giggled, “Hap. You’re jealous.”

“I am  _ not _ -”

“Save it. There’s no fooling The Doctor.”


	93. Have a Good Day

_ 6 - “Have a good day at work.”  _

 

“Have a good day at work,” Happy said, “while I’m cooped up in here like a damn  _ bird _ .” 

“A very pretty bird.” Toby kissed her knuckles, then released her hand. “You have to stay home, Happy. For your own health.”

“But mostly everyone else’s.” She sighed. “Can’t risk giving anyone else whatever I have.”

“ _ Bronchitis _ ,” he said.

“Yeah. That.”

Toby rolled his eyes and kissed her palm this time. “I’ll be back at lunchtime. And I’ll bring drugs.”

“As long as they’re helpful.” Happy squeezed his hand. He grinned at her. “But, doc? If this thing is so bad, why are you staying around me? We shouldn’t even be breathing the same air. Right?”   


“Because I’m your  _ husband _ , Happy. I would never leave you alone. Ever.” 


	94. You Didn't Have to

_ 68 - “You didn’t have to ask.” _

 

Toby threw his head back and heaved the biggest sigh he’d ever exhaled. He whimpered against the makeshift bonds his captors had restrained him with earlier. 

“At least Happy’s safe,” he murmured. Or so he hoped. Last he’d heard, she was safe. And even if he’d been tied up across the facility, all that mattered was her safety. 

He swallowed. 

The door creaked open at the other end of the room. Assuming it was one of his captors, Toby prepped a dozen snarky remarks. But she walked into view before he could say anything.

“ _ Happy _ ? What the hell are you doing here?”

“Nice to see you too,  _ babe _ ,” she grumbled, heading for him.

“Where’s everyone else?”

“I told them if we didn’t find you before anything else, I’d give the closest wall a nice imprint of Walt’s forehead.”

He gestured in the opposite direction with his head because he couldn’t move his hands. “Get out of here before they see you.”

“I’m not leaving without you.” She reached for his restrained hands. 

He tried to shrug her off. Albeit gently, but he still tried. “I’m serious, Hap.”

“Yeah. Me too.”

He frowned. “Happy. Please. You don’t have backup. If one of those guys comes in here and finds you, he’ll probably put a bullet in your  _ chest _ .”

“I’ll get you out before that happens.”

“Happy,” he begged. “ _ Please _ .”

“You don’t have to ask, Toby. Don’t waste your breath. I’m staying right here until we both walk out that door alive.”

And of course, she did.


	95. You Might Like This

_ 21 - “You might like this.” _

 

“C’mere, Hap. You might like this one.”   


She raised an eyebrow. “No.” 

He pouted. “Oh, come on,  _ Happy _ !” 

Several other couples in the store looked over. Happy glared at them before returning her eyes to her own husband. “Look, I agree that we have to get baby clothes before we finalize all the papers and stuff. But if I see  _ one _ more oversized bow, the only thing we’ll be leaving with is my sore hand and your bruised arm.” 

Toby sighed and dropped all of the baby girl dresses in his arms onto the closest shelf. “They’re supposed to look cute.”   


“All they look is stupid.” She flicked her eye at the pile. “I think I’m gonna be sick from all this pink. This is impossible.”   


He groaned. “You’re tellin’ me.” 


	96. Happy Birthday

_ 60 - “Happy birthday.” _

 

Toby walked back into the bedroom with a nearly full cup of water in his hand. But after only one step, he was blindsided. Happy grabbed both of his cheeks, pushing her body against his and slamming him to the wall. He didn’t have time to question it. 

The cup dropped to the floor, spilling across the carpet around their feet. When her lips touched his, the wetness from the water he’d drank parched the thirst of her cracked skin.    


His hands cupped her hips, but quickly slid back to her waistline. With her weight, she pinned him between the wall and her body. He pulled back, still breathing into her mouth, but far enough to whisper, “Good morning to you, too.”

She grinned. “Happy birthday, doc.” 


	97. I Don't Mind

_ 55 - “I don’t mind.”  _

 

Happy awoke to the sound of her screaming daughter, the unfortunate alarm clock she’d had the displeasure of getting used to since becoming an adoptive mother. She waited for a minute, hoping it was just part of a dream. Or nightmare. Either way, she didn’t want to move.

But the shrieking continued. Happy groaned, blinking up at the dark ceiling. She snuck a glance at the time. When she realized she’d have plenty more hours to fall back asleep after this was over, she felt a little better. But that was only if it didn’t take too long. 

She rubbed her eyes, reluctant to trade the warm bed for a riled baby. 

Toby stirred at her side and she instantly regretted not getting up before he’d heard the screaming. With a newfound energy, she hopped out from under the sheets and onto the carpet. 

“Hap?” He peered at her through narrow slits in his groggy eyes. 

“Go back to sleep,” she said. “I’m on it.”

“No-” he pulled himself up now, “no, I’ll-I’ll take care of her. You did it last time.”

“I don’t mind, Toby. You need some shut eye more than I do.” Happy squeezed his hand. “Just go back to sleep. I’ll be right back.”


	98. I'll Pick It Up

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> like i have with some of the others, i changed the exact wording of the prompt cause y'know *shrug* artistic license and whatnot

_ 61 - “I’ll pick it up after work.” _

 

Toby had just gotten in the garage when his cell phone rang, chiming with the wonderfully familiar  _ attaboy!  _ of his wife. He didn’t have time to squeeze in a greeting as she started rattling off some list. After finishing, he heard their daughter in the background. She didn’t sound happy.

“ _ Hello  _ to you, too, my beautiful wife. How was your day? Mine was stressful. Sly and I almost became lion bait, thank you for asking.” 

A frown passed through her voice. “Sorry.” She sighed. “Been a long day. I’m glad you’re still breathing.”

“Yeah,” he smiled, “me too. Can’t wait to see you. Just gotta help Paige write up the case report.”

“Ditto,” Happy said. There was a pause, then Grace quieted, and Toby assumed Happy had managed to coax her down. “But like I was saying, we need baby supplies. I was too distracted to realize we’re almost out of diapers, hand-wipes, and coffee. Oh, and she threw up on my sexy nurse getup.”

Toby chuckled. “Don’t worry, babe. I’ll pick everything up on my way home.”   


“Okay. Thanks.” She exhaled on the other side of the phone, relieved. “See you soon.”

“Can’t wait.”


	99. Just Because

_ 24 - “Just because.” _

 

“I can’t remember the last time we did this,” Toby mumbled into her hair. 

“Slept in?”

He chuckled. The breath reached the skin on her neck. “We didn’t do much  _ sleeping _ , Hap.”

“Touché,” she relented. “Uh….stayed in bed all morning without actually sleeping? Just... _ other _ activities?”

“That’s better.” Squeezing her hand, he leaned forward to press a soft kiss to her cheek. 

She adjusted her head to peer at him. “What was that for?”

He smiled. “Just because.”


	100. I Love You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wow. I was never planning to make this a daily thing, and I never imagined that I would actually finish it. so, to be perfectly honest, I'm incredibly proud of myself for finishing this. I wouldn't have been able to do it without the constant support I received from everyone reading it. there were times I considered giving up, but people continued to leave reviews and continued to leave reviews that told me how impressed they were and how much they enjoyed reading a chapter every day. I cannot even BEGIN to explain how much every single follow, favorite, kudos, comment, and just read mean to me. thank you for reading what I wrote. and thank you to everyone who left me continuous support. I know it sounds stupid, but I wouldn't have finished without you.
> 
> a special thank you to the lovely dS-Tiff for commenting on every single chapter! ON BOTH SITES! and for messaging me privately to shower me in compliments. you are undeniably and unquestionably the best. I can't thank you enough.
> 
> GO CHECK OUT HER STORIES! you won't regret it!
> 
> I also wanted to apologize. I know the chapters got incredibly short and probably uninteresting. I don't want to make excuses but I do want to say that it got extremely difficult to continue coming up with ideas. I apologize for the short chapters.
> 
> again, thank you all for everything. without the support this story received, it wouldn't be here now. I hope you enjoyed the ride and I hope you enjoy this last little drabble.

_ 100 - “I love you.” _

 

_ I love you _ was a promise. A full hearted, truthful, binding promise to last as long as forever went on. And it meant a lot of things. It meant  _ I believe in you _ ,  _ I’ll wait _ ,  _ don’t worry about me _ ,  _ I’ll do it for you _ ,  _ take mine _ ,  _ you didn’t have to ask _ ,  _ I want you to be happy _ ,  _ you can tell me anything _ ,  _ I’ll still be here when you’re ready _ . 

Happy reminded Toby she loved him when he became plagued by self-deprecation. She said it through hand squeezes, soft forehead kisses, and statements that proved how much he was  _ really _ worth.

Toby told Happy he loved her when she couldn’t see their bright future because of their dark present. He showed her everything that was yet to come and everything they just hadn’t gotten yet. 

They said  _ I love you _ to each other in fleeting moments, a flicker of warmth amidst the long hours in their work days. They said  _ I love you _ in between passionate kisses of flaming lust. They said  _ I love you _ because sometimes that was all they had. They said  _ I love you _ when one of them needed to hear it most. 

For Happy and Toby,  _ I love you _ was a reminder of the bond that brought them together and made each of them whole. In the other, they’d found their missing piece, their better half, and when they said  _ I love you _ , they were acknowledging that.

_ I love you _ was  _ I made your favorite _ , _ it looks good on you _ , _ have fun _ , _ call me if you need anything _ , _ I made reservations _ , _ it can wait until tomorrow _ .  _ I love you  _ sounded like home. It gave Happy chills to hear whispered against the skin of her stomach as he kissed his way up her body. It made Toby’s heart full to hear when she wouldn’t let him forget it.

“I love you,” Happy whispered as the woman at the adoption agency handed them their baby to hold for the first time.

“I love you,” Toby said every time a simple day at work turned serious and their lives were at stake. 

It was for waking up to each other in the morning, reassuring hand holds, comforting hugs, carefree laughter, and everything in between. And it meant all of those, too. It wasn’t just a reminder in those moments, it  _ was _ the hugs and the groggy kisses and the palms pressed together and the look in her eyes and the beam in his smile. It was  _ it reminded me of you _ ,  _ go back to sleep _ ,  _ I think you’re beautifu _ l,  _ it brings out your eyes _ ,  _ you can borrow mine _ ,  _ I hope you like it _ .

“I really do love you, Toby.”

“I love you more than anything, Happy.”


End file.
